Department for Transport

Road Traffic Control

Lord Krebs: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to impose sanctions on local authorities that have not used grants under the Emergency Active Travel Fund to introduce relevant measures to encourage or facilitate active travel; and what sanctions these will be.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department for Transport has consistently made clear to local authorities that it reserves the right to claw back funding for active travel schemes where it is not satisfied that it has been appropriately spent. In determining future funding allocations, it will take into account local authorities’ track record in delivering active travel schemes.

Road Traffic Control: Oxfordshire

Lord Krebs: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the funding awarded from the Emergency Active Travel Fund to Oxfordshire County Council to support the Jericho Low Traffic Neighbourhood has been used for the purpose for which it was awarded.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department has asked all local authorities, including Oxfordshire County Council, to monitor and evaluate the impacts of their active travel schemes, and will take this into account in determining future funding allocations. The detailed design of local schemes is however, a matter for local authorities.

Driving: Disqualification

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has overturned a decision to grant an exemption from disqualification on the grounds of exceptional hardship to a driver who incurred 12 or more points on their driving licencein each of the last five years.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) cannot overturn a court’s decision to apply exceptional hardship where a driver has accrued 12 or more penalty points. The DVLA’s role is purely to record the decision made by the court. If the DVLA receives a notification for a driver with 12 or more penalty points who has not been disqualified, the DVLA will alert courts to this. This enables the courts to consider re-opening cases and disqualifying drivers where appropriate.

Leader of the House of Lords

Ministerial Statements

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask the Leader of the House what (1) steps they are taking, and (2) safeguards are in place, to ensure that ministerial statements delivered in the House of Lords are accurate.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: The Government attaches great importance to informative and accurate ministerial statements. The right of parliamentarians to take up issues directly with the Government is a key part of the democratic process and underlines the accountability of Ministers to Parliament. It is important that ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament and that they correct any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity.

Leader of the House of Lords: Written Questions

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask the Leader of the House what steps she is taking to (1) encourage, and (2) require, ministers to answer written parliamentary questions as tabled.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: As Leader of the House I take very seriously the responsibility incumbent on all Ministers to provide full, timely and comprehensive answers to Questions for Written Answers. Ministers are reminded regularly of the importance of their obligations to the House, and my office works closely with all departmental Parliamentary teams to help provide advice on what is expected of them in providing such answers.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

OECD Countries

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what value is attributed to a tonne of carbon in the Treasury’s Green Book; and whether they intend to publish the equivalent figures for each of the OECD countries.

Lord Callanan: Valuing changes in greenhouse gases, including carbon, is vital to ensure climate change impacts are taken into account when appraising and evaluating public policies and projects. Carbon values used during policy appraisal are published as part of the Green Book supplementary guidance: valuation of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions for appraisal. A summary of the current carbon values for 2030, 2040, 2050 is given in the table below (the full annual series can be found in table 3 of the attached). The Government is not intending to publish equivalent figures for each of the OECD countries. Table 1: HMG’s Carbon Values for policy appraisal£ per tonne of CO2-equivalent (real 2018 prices)LowCentralHigh203040811212040781562342050115231346HL15229 carbon data table (xlsx, 1417.8KB)

Energy Companies Obligation

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the Energy Company Obligation to other measures in addition to space heating.

Lord Callanan: The targets for the current iteration of ECO are based on the Home Heating and Cost Reduction Obligation (HHCRO) powers set out in the Electricity Act 1989, Section 41B, and Gas Act 1986, Section 33BD. This allows Government to set a target for the promotion of measures for reducing the cost to individuals of heating their homes. Therefore, measures which do not result in space heating savings are not eligible. Under the current scheme, ECO3, 44% of measures delivered were a form of insulation with the remainder being heating measures, such as replacement boilers, as of January 2021. ECO3 will end in March 2022, however, it was announced in February’s Sustainable Warmth Strategy that ECO4 will run from April 2022 through to 2026. The value of the scheme will also increase to £1bn per annum for ECO4. Further details about ECO4, including the scope of eligible measures, will be consulted on later this year.

Housing Improvement: Energy

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what funds (1) have been, and (2) will be, allocated to local authorities to enable them to retrofit domestic premises to increase their energy efficiency.

Lord Callanan: The Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery (LAD) scheme, which supports energy efficiency and low carbon heat projects for low-income households, is being delivered in three phases:Phase 1A; around £74 million was allocated to 55 projects in over 100 Local Authorities in October 2020, to be delivered by June 2021.Phase 1B:  around £126 million has been allocated to 81 projects in over 200 Local Authorities, for delivery by September 2021.Phase 2:  funding of £300 million has been allocated to the five Local Energy Hubs, who will work with Local Authorities in their region to deliver projects by December 2021. The 2019 Conservative Manifesto committed to a £3.8bn Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) over a 10-year period, to improve the energy performance of social rented homes. The Summer Economic Update announced the SHDF Demonstrator project, launched in 2020, which has awarded £62m of funding to social landlords across England and Scotland to test innovative approaches to retrofitting at scale, seeing over 2300 social homes improved to at least EPC band C. The Autumn 2020 Spending Review committed £60m of funding for the first wave of the £3.8bn manifesto commitment in financial year 21/22. The Government has since committed an additional £300 million on green home upgrades through Local Authorities. This extension will be through an increase in funding to Local Authorities via LAD and the SHDF wave one, and whilst the schemes are currently being designed, the focus remains on upgrading the worst-performing homes with energy efficiency installations and low-carbon heating.

Aviation and Shipping: Carbon Budgets

Baroness Worthington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to include international aviation and shipping emissions in the Sixth Carbon Budget, as recommended by the Climate Change Committee in their reportThe Sixth Carbon Budget, published in December 2020.

Lord Callanan: We have laid legislation for the UK’s sixth carbon budget, proposing a world-leading target, which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels. This is in line with the latest science as the level recommended by our expert advisers at the Climate Change Committee (CCC). We have set the sixth carbon budget to include international aviation and shipping emissions, as recommended by our independent climate advisors, the Climate Change Committee. We remain fully committed to global action to tackle IAS emissions through international processes at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

Carbon Emissions: Taxation

Baroness Worthington: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will set a long-term carbon pricing signal to supportthe removal of carbon emissions from the atmosphere in the UK.

Lord Callanan: On the 1st of January 2021, the Government implemented the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) that will be the world’s first net zero carbon cap and trade market. We will consult in due course on how to align the UK ETS cap with an appropriate net zero trajectory, meaning the system will significantly contribute to ensuring the UK meets our commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. The operation of the cap will provide certainty about the decarbonisation trajectory over the long term. The initial scope of the UK ETS provides continuity with the EU system we have now left, covering emissions from energy intensive industry, aviation and electricity generation. In the Energy White Paper, we committed to exploring expanding the UK ETS to other sectors and will set out our aspirations to continue to lead the world on carbon pricing in the run-up to COP26. This will also include how the UK ETS could incentivise the deployment of greenhouse gas removal technologies.

Hydrogen and Nuclear Power

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to progress (1) the replacement of the UK’s nuclear reactors, and (2) action on hydrogen as an alternative low carbon fuel; what are their timelines for any such steps; and how might these timelines be accelerated.

Lord Callanan: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution included nuclear and hydrogen among the 10 priority areas of the £1bn Net Zero Innovation Programme. Low carbon hydrogen and nuclear could both play a key role in meeting our legally binding commitment to achieving net zero by 2050, with potential to help decarbonise vital UK industry sectors and provide flexible energy across heat, power and transport. (1) The Government’s commitment to advancing large, small and advanced nuclear reactors was confirmed as part of the 10 Point Plan. Alongside entering negotiations in relation to Sizewell C and continuing to engage other nuclear developers on proposals for future projects, we have created a £385m Advanced Nuclear Fund to deploy Small Modular Reactors and an Advanced Modular Reactor demonstrator by the early 2030s. Some AMR designs suggest the production of hydrogen as an end-use, and all nuclear reactor technologies, current and future, have the potential to feed into the hydrogen market either by producing low carbon electricity or heat for increasingly efficient electrolysis production. (2) The Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan confirmed our aim, working with industry, for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 for use across the economy. As we progress towards this ambition, we would hope to see around 1GW of hydrogen production capacity by 2025.The UK has expertise and assets to support both electrolytic (green) and Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) enabled (blue) hydrogen. Our twin track approach to enable both routes will drive cost effective supply volumes in the 2020s in line with our 2030 5GW ambition, whilst scaling up green hydrogen.The ambition will be supported by a package of measures, including:The first ever UK Hydrogen Strategy set to be published in Q2 of this year which will set out the key steps needed in the 2020s to deliver our 5GW ambition and set the context for further scale up on the way to net zero.The £240m Net-Zero Hydrogen Fund (NZHF) confirmed out to 2025, intended to support both green and blue hydrogen production. We are engaging with industry on the design of the fund, and more details will be published alongside the strategy.Long term, sustainable business models and the revenue mechanism to support them, to stimulate private investment in new low carbon hydrogen projects. We will consult on our minded to position for business models alongside the strategy, with a view to finalising in 2022. We will also set out plans for the revenue mechanism this year.Timelines are ambitious whilst allowing sufficient time for evidence-based policy decisions that will benefit taxpayers and consumers.

Carbon Budgets

Baroness Worthington: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will set a statutory target for the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere in the UK as part of legislation under the Sixth Carbon Budget.

Lord Callanan: We have laid legislation for the UK’s sixth carbon budget, proposing a world-leading target, which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels. This is in line with the latest science as the level recommended by our expert advisers at the Climate Change Committee (CCC). Analysis from the CCC shows that to achieve net zero Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) methods will be required to balance residual emissions from some of the most difficult to decarbonise sectors. Following the Government’s response to the CCC's 2020 progress report to Parliament, BEIS and HM Treasury launched a Call for evidence on the role of GGRs in delivering net zero, inviting evidence on a range of GGR methods. The Call for Evidence closed on 26 February, and we will publish a summary of responses in due course. We will bring forward further policies and proposals to meet our carbon budgets in due course, which will consider the role that greenhouse gas removal technologies can play.

UK Emissions Trading Scheme

Baroness Worthington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plansthey have to develop rules that would enable CO2 removals to be integrated into carbon markets, such as a UKemissions trading system.

Lord Callanan: The Government committed in the recent Energy White Paper to exploring expanding the existing UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS), which replaced the UK’s participation in the EU ETS on 1 January 2021, to the two thirds of uncovered emissions, and indicated that we will set out our aspirations to continue to lead the world on carbon pricing in the run up to COP26. This will also include how the UK ETS could incentivise the deployment of greenhouse gas removal technologies.

Zero Hours Contracts

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that employers give as much notice as possible when offering work to employeeson zero hours contracts.

Lord Callanan: In 2019, the Government held a consultation inviting views on policies which aim to tackle some of the challenges associated with non-guaranteed hours. These included proposals on providing reasonable notice of shifts and providing compensation for shifts cancelled at short notice. We are analysing the results of this consultation, especially in light of the impacts of Covid-19 on the labour market and will respond in due course.

International Centre for Genomic Medicine in Neuromuscular Diseases: Finance

Lord Walney: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the Medical Research Council about the impact of its decision to reduce grant funding which had been allocated in 2021–22 to support the establishment of the International Centre for Genomic Medicine in Neuromuscular Diseases.

Lord Walney: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to support the proposed International Centre for Genomic Medicine in Neuromuscular Diseases, following reductions in grant funding allocated to the project by the Medical Research Council in2021–22.

Lord Callanan: In correspondence with Universities regarding the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget cuts, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has provided each with the opportunity to highlight awards that may require special consideration.

Small Businesses: Environment Protection

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support small businesses to become more environmentally friendly.

Lord Callanan: Achieving our net zero goal requires all businesses to take action. In order to drive this forward, my Hon. Friend the Member for Arundel and South Downs has been appointed by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister to be the UK’s Net Zero Business Champion ahead of COP26. My Hon. Friend’s role is to encourage UK business to sign up to climate action via the Race to Zero science-based targets initiative, to champion the actions that UK businesses are already taking and to help UK businesses exploit the many opportunities of the transition to a low carbon economy. By November, the aim is for as many UK small businesses as possible to join the Race to Zero – a global effort to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we all generate to zero by 2050. Taking action on climate change will help businesses to grow, seize new opportunities and adapt against the challenges of a changing planet. Reducing emissions can lower businesses’ running costs, save them money, and attract new customers who want to shop sustainably.

Nigel Boardman

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Nigel Boardman is the chair of the Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy; and whether that Committee is responsible for overseeing the risk audit and credit functionality at the British Business Bank.

Lord Callanan: Nigel Boardman is a non-executive board member of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC). The British Business Bank (BBB) is an operationally independent arm’s length body of Government. As such, and in accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code, BBB has separate independent Audit and Risk Committees comprising of independent non-executive directors. BBB’s Board is responsible for internal controls and risk management systems in BBB. Through the governance statement in BBB’s Annual Report and Accounts there is a requirement for BBB to provide assurances to the Government and other stakeholders on performance and insight on BBB’s risk profile, the responses to the identified and emerging risks and how risks have been successfully tackled.

Greensill: Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they (1) received, or (2) sought, any information from (a) the government of Germany, (b) German financial regulators, or (c) the German Deposit Protection Scheme in connection with Greensill Bank before the British Business Bank accredited Greensill Capital as a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme lender; and whether they were advised by the government of Germany that the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (i) had established a Greensill task force in July 2020, and (ii) appointed KPMG to conduct a review of the management of Greensill Bank in September 2020.

Lord Callanan: The Department neither sought nor received any information from the German government, German financial regulators, or the German Deposit Protection Scheme in connection with Greensill Bank. The decision to accredit Greensill Capital was made independently by the British Business Bank (the Bank) and in accordance with the Bank’s usual procedures. The Bank ran an accreditation process for lenders to participate in the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), which included due consideration of whether a prospective lender met the criteria set out in the CBILS Request for Proposals (a publicly available document). At the point of accreditation and based on the information provided to it, the Bank considered that Greensill Capital met the required criteria.

Peter Marquez

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any potential conflicts of interest relating to their reported planned appointment of the head of space policy at Amazon to a government advisory position.

Lord Callanan: All prospective government advisory appointments are subject to rigorous vetting and appointment processes, to determine, amongst other things, Conflicts of Interest.

Fires: Carbon Emissions

Lord Botham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of carbon emissions caused by wildfires in each of the last five years; and how these emissions are accounted for in UK carbon budgets.

Lord Callanan: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Lord.

Renewable Energy: Exports

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potentioal for exporting green energy in the next (1) five, and (2) ten, years.

Lord Callanan: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Baroness.

Medicine: Research

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on charity-funded medical research; what assessment they have made of any such impact on research funding for the university sector; and what steps they will take to make up any shortfalls in funding.

Lord Callanan: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Baroness.

National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research: Expenditure

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government over what period was the £71 million funding invested in research by the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research; how much of this funding has been spent on administrative costs; and how much of this funding has been spent on projects where refinement of the use of animals in research was the primary focus.

Lord Callanan: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Baroness.

Business: Coronavirus

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the survey on the cost of COVID-19 to tradespeople by Simply Business, published on 23 April; and what steps they are taking to support the economic recovery of the construction industry from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Callanan: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Lord.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 4 February (HL12442), which COVID-19 vaccines they have ordered to date by (1) manufacturer, (2) number of doses ordered, and (3) expected date of delivery.

Lord Callanan: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Lord.

Paula Vennells

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the quashing of the convictions of 39 sub-postmasters at the Court of Appeal on 23 April, what assessment they have made of the possibility of repayment of any severance payment made to Paula Vennells on her departure from Post Office Ltd.

Lord Callanan: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Lord.

Trade Marks: Maladministration

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the event of an erroneous trademarking of a trade name by the Intellectual Property Office, they may reverse the trademarking without the need for further legal action by any aggrieved party.

Lord Callanan: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. I will correspond directly with the noble Lord.

Northern Ireland Office

Proscribed Organisations: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government which organisations are proscribed under Schedule 2 to the Terrorism Act 2000 due to their association withterrorism in Northern Ireland.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: As set out under Schedule 2 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and published on gov.uk, the following groups linked to Northern Ireland Related Terrorism are proscribed:  Continuity Army CouncilCumann na mBanFianna na hEireannIrish National Liberation ArmyIrish People's Liberation OrganisationIrish Republican ArmyLoyalist Volunteer ForceOrange VolunteersRed Hand CommandoRed Hand DefendersSaor EireUlster Defence AssociationUlster Freedom FightersUlster Volunteer Force

Economic Situation: Northern Ireland

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the economic damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, what steps they are taking to work with the Northern Ireland Executive to encourage the recovery of the Northern Ireland economy.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The UK Government is committed to levelling up and promoting economic growth across the whole of the UK to ensure that no community is left behind, particularly as we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government has already taken steps to support individuals and businesses in Northern Ireland by providing £3.8bn funding to the Executive to help fight coronavirus. In addition, Northern Ireland businesses and individuals have benefited from UK-wide support measures such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme which have both been extended to September 2021. The UK Government has also provided over £1.3bn in government-backed loan schemes to businesses in Northern Ireland, protecting jobs across the region. The Government is also driving forward investment in Northern Ireland. We are delivering a comprehensive and ambitious set of City and Growth Deals across Northern Ireland, which will help key sectors to flourish, committing more than £600m to this program. In February, the UK Government signed the Heads of Terms on the Derry/Londonderry and Strabane City Deal, which will support a range of projects in the North West region. We are also investing £400m to support the NI economy through the New Deal for Northern Ireland and have committed over £500m to the PEACE PLUS programme, which will carry out vital work that promotes peace and reconciliation and contributes to the cross-border economic and territorial development of the region. The Government has also recently announced the creation of several new funds, which will create opportunities for further investment in people, communities and infrastructure. This includes the UK Community Renewal Fund, the Levelling Up Fund and the Community Ownership Fund, each of which, organisations in Northern Ireland will be able to bid into specific funding. All of this additional funding comes on top of £2bn of support for the New Decade, New Approach Agreement and measures to help traders navigate new arrangements as part of the Northern Ireland/Ireland Protocol. The Government welcomes the Executive’s roadmap to recovery and we want to see Northern Ireland realise its economic potential. We will continue to work closely with the Northern Ireland Executive to maximise opportunities for economic recovery and growth, both now, in Northern Ireland’s Centenary year, and in the long-term.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the victims of the Northern Ireland Troubles on the intro-duction of legislation to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Government remains committed to bringing forward legislation to address the legacy of the Troubles and fully recognises the importance of engaging with victims groups and other key stakeholders as part of this process. A number of ministerial and official level meetings on legacy issues have recently taken place with victims groups, including the Victims and Survivors Forum and groups funded under the Victims and Survivors Service’s Victims Support Programme. The Government is committed to publishing a list of ministers’ meetings with external organisations, including those with victims groups, on a quarterly basis. Publications for the Northern Ireland Office can be found on Gov.UK.

Department of Health and Social Care

Health Services

Baroness Jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations to support the implementation of shared decision making set out in the report by AbbVie,Empowering Conversations: Making shared decision making a reality for patients in an evolving NHS, published in March.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bethell on 27 April (HL15033), when they expect the assessment of National Health Service waiting times in England to be completed; and whether the assessment will be published promptly following its completion.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Health Services

Baroness Jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the scheduled publication of a shared decision making guideline by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in June 2021, what assessment they have made of the work of (1) NHS England, (2) patient groups and (3) professional bodies, to support shared decision making in health services; and what steps they plance to take to support the implementation of shared decision making across the NHS.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Health Services

Baroness Jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that patients are explicitly consulted about decisions on service (1) changes, and (2) improvements, as part of NHS Restart.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much public money has been paid in the last two years to companies based in China manufacturing face masks and other personal protective equipment; and to provide a list of those companies.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much public money has been spent over the past two years on the purchase of (1) face masks, and (2) other personal protective equipment, manufactured in China.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Coronavirus: Ethnic Groups

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe efficacy of their guidance (1) about the restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2)to promote uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among BAME communities; andwhat plans they have to adapt future measures in response to any such assessment.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Palliative Care: Costs

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the estimate in the report by Sue RyderModelling demand and costs for palliative care services in England, published on 1 February, that the cost of providing palliative care services may reach £947m per year by 2031.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Palliative Care: Finance

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by Sue RyderModelling demand and costs for palliative care services in England, published on 1 February, what assessment have they made of the risk of the independent hospice sector collapsing due to a lack of funding; and what assessment have they made of the cost of theNHS providing palliativecare services instead of indepedent palliative care providers over the next 10 years.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Speech and Language Disorders

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government whichNHS Trusts do not provide speech therapy for stammering adults; what are the reasons for those Trusts not providing such therapy; and what plans they have to establish a consistent service across Englandto provide such therapy.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Hospices: Finance

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by Sue RyderModelling demand and costs for palliative care services in England, published on 1 February, what plans they have to implement a long-term funding package for hospices.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Palliative Care: Finance

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the report by Sue RyderModelling demand and costs for palliative care services in England, published on 1 February, that independent hospice services may be withdrawn unlessstatutory funding of services increases from 37 per cent to 70 per cent.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Palliative Care: Finance

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether funding for palliative care services will meet predicted future demand.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Diamorphine

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the supply of diamorphine; and what steps they are taking to ensure that any shortage in the availability of diamorphine to NHS patients is addressed.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Health Services: Crown Dependencies

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial arrangements, if any, they have agreed with the Crown Dependencies in recognition of the (1) availability, and (2) use, of NHS facilities by residents of such Dependencies who do not pay tax in the UK.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: To ask Her Majesty's Government howindividuals can obtain confirmation of their COVID-19 vaccination status; whether that information is in a form that individuals can share with commercial organisations for the purpose of vaccine passports; and if so, how.

Lord Bethell: To record vaccinations, the National Health Service National Immunisation Management System (NIMS) is being used as the national register for COVID-19 vaccinations. At the point that someone receives their COVID-19 vaccine, the vaccinating team record this information onto NIMS and onto a patient’s general practitioner record. The Government will review whether COVID-status certification could play a role in reopening the economy, reducing restrictions on social contact and improving safety. This will include assessing to what extent certification would be effective in reducing risk, and the potential uses to enable access to settings or a relaxation of COVID-19 secure mitigations. The Government will also consider the ethical, equalities, privacy, legal and operational aspects of this approach and what limits, if any, should be placed on organisations using certification. It will draw on external advice to develop recommendations that take into account any social and economic impacts, and implications for disproportionately impacted groups and individuals’ privacy and security. The Government will set out its conclusions in advance of step four of the roadmap in order to inform the safe reopening of society and the economy. Vaccination is not suitable for all citizens and there are other means of demonstrating a reduced risk of transmission. The NHS is working on providing individuals with the means to demonstrate their COVID-19 status through a digital and non-digital route and is working with experts to put security and privacy at the core of this approach. As we continue to explore and trial COVID-19 status certification, we will ensure appropriate Parliamentary scrutiny.

Health Services

Baroness Jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the scheduled publication of a shared decision making guideline by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in June 2021, what assessment they have made of the opportunities for integrated care systems to support patients in having more involvement in decisions about their treatment and care; and what plans they have to publish guidance to support this.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Animal Experiments

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the UK’s departure from the EU, what assessment have they made of regulatory guidelines for the use of a second animal species in regulatory toxicology studies.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Travel: Coronavirus

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how often countries on the travel 'red list' are being reviewed; and how far in advance any changes to the red list will be announced.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether prohibiting a British resident overseas to travel to be with close family is in accordance with (1) domestic, and (2) international, human rights provisions.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Travel: Quarantine

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the level of compliance of those who are required to quarantine upon arrival into the UK.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Coronavirus: Travel

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bethell on 29 March (HL13356), what are the other two stages of the three-stage assessment process to attain full UKAS accreditation.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Travel: Quarantine

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are takingto ensure that those traveling to the UK indirectly from 'red list' travel ban countries quarantine in a hotel upon arrival.

Lord Bethell: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Shipping: Quarantine

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of exempting seafarers from the requirement for anyone travelling to the UK from a country on the travel ban list to quarantine in a government-approved facility for 10 days during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Bethell: Seamen and masters, maritime pilots and inspectors and surveyors of ships, where they have travelled to the United Kingdom in the course of their work and live in the UK, do not need to self-isolate. If they live overseas, they must self-isolate in their accommodation while in England, except while undertaking the exempt activity or travelling as part of their work. They are permitted to enter the UK and do not need to quarantine in a Government approved hotel, even if they have been in any country on the travel ban ‘red list’ in the previous 10 days. This is to reflect the critical role that seafarers play in ensuring the continued supply of goods in and out of the UK.

Daratumumab

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to receive a report from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence on the (1) efficacy, and (2) cost effectiveness, of the daratumumab treatment for myeloma; how long that evaluation has been in progress; and when this treatment is likely to be fully funded for the treatment of patients in the NHS.

Lord Bethell: Daratumumab has been appraised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in several different indications related to different stages of multiple myeloma and in combination with other treatments. NICE has been able to recommend daratumumab for use in several indications and it is now routinely available to eligible patients in line with NICE’s recommendations. A number of appraisals of daratumumab for use in the treatment of multiple myeloma are in development.

Disease Control

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) global, and (2) UK national, frameworks of (a) institutions, (b) capabilities, (c) processes, and (d) co-operation, that will be needed in the future effectively to detect and to counter pandemics.

Lord Bethell: We continually assess our pandemic preparedness plans to ensure that they remain as robust as possible. This assessment includes, as appropriate, incorporating lessons learned from exercises that test the readiness of our plans and from our experience in responding to pandemics, disease outbreaks, and other types of incident in the United Kingdom. The UK Health Security Agency, established in April 2021, will be dedicated to ensuring that we are protected from all future health threats including pandemics.International cooperation is and will remain essential to detecting and countering pandemics and the Prime Minister, together with other world leaders, has called for a new international treaty on pandemic preparedness. We continue to take every opportunity to engage with our international counterparts, including through the G7 and G20, with the World Health Organization and with the European Union as set out in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Drugs: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland on the availability of medicines and drugs in Northern Ireland.

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the availability of new drugs and medicines in Northern Ireland under the separate licensing arrangements established by theProtocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

Lord Bethell: We are continuing to engage with the European Union on the movement of medicines into Northern Ireland, as part of conversations regarding outstanding issues on the Protocol. Whilst these discussions are ongoing, we have not made a full assessment of the impact of the Protocol. However, we remain committed to maintaining the availability of medicines and drugs in Northern Ireland and actively monitor the situation.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their report UKCOVID-19 vaccines delivery plan, published on 11 January, what criteria they useto assess whether to use the mobile model to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine to people experiencing homelessness.

Lord Bethell: Working with local community partners, it is for local systems to determine the appropriate vaccine delivery model for their populations. However, NHS England and NHS Improvement have been clear that they should consider pop-ups in community venues and mobile facilities. They have also highlighted the need for in-reach mobile delivery to hostels and hotels providing accommodation for people experiencing homelessness, as well as outreach delivery where clinically safe, to people who remain living on the streets and mobile delivery connected to places people access and feel safe including foodbanks and other community-based support. To support this, NHS England has developed COVID-19 vaccination programme: JCVI Cohort 6 - Homelessness and rough sleeping Mobilisation support pack. A copy is attached.Homelessness and rough sleeping Mobilisation  (pdf, 1046.5KB)

Prostate Cancer

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to support the (1) current, and (2) future, provision of prostate cancer (a) treatment, and (b) relatedwell-being services.

Lord Bethell: A wide range of treatments are available for prostate cancer across the National Health Service, depending on both the stage of disease and each individual patient’s preferences, which includes surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In February 2021, NHS England and NHS Improvement’s specialised commissioning team announced that it would make available external beam radiotherapy to treat hormone sensitive, low volume prostate cancer.The NHS also made available a range of ‘COVID-19 friendly’ treatments, offering benefits such as fewer hospital visits or a reduced impact on the patient’s immune system. This includes targeted hormone therapies such as enzalutamide for prostate cancer treatment. After treatment, patients will move to a Personalised Stratified Follow-Up pathway that suits their needs and ensures they can get rapid access to clinical support where they are worried that their cancer may have recurred. This stratified follow-up approach was established in all trusts for prostate cancer in 2020.NHS England is supporting staff to offer personalised care to people affected by cancer, including people with prostate cancer, by promoting awareness and understanding of the personalised care interventions. The NHS Long Term Plan sets a clear ambition that where appropriate every person diagnosed with cancer, including those with prostate cancer, should have access to personalised care to ensure people’s social, emotional, physical and practical needs are identified and addressed at the earliest opportunity. Over the next five years, Cancer Alliances will be embedding personalised care interventions, which will identify and address the changing needs of cancer patients from diagnosis onwards.

Potassium Chloride: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the supply of potassium chloride to Northern Ireland from Great Britain suppliers has been reduced since 1 January 2021.

Lord Bethell: Due to commercial sensitivities, the Department cannot comment on the status of the development and supply of any individual medicine. However, we are continuing to work closely with industry partners to help ensure the continuity of supply of medicines to Northern Ireland.

Coronavirous: Vaccination

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are theunderlying health conditions which would make it unsafe for a person to have any of the currently approvedCOVID-19vaccinations; andhow many people have these conditions.

Lord Bethell: Each vaccine has specific contraindications which will outline those in whom the vaccine could potentially be considered unsafe. To date this has only been those with known hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients listed in the individual vaccine information. Administration of a vaccine for anyone with any other underlying health condition should be on an individual basis and following discussion between the subject and their physician, with consideration for their individual risk-benefit.

Drugs: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to offer a guarantee that patients in Northern Ireland will retain access to all drugs and medicines currently available following the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

Lord Bethell: The United Kingdom Government is continuing to engage with the European Commission on this matter to ensure that there is no impediment to securing access to vital medicines across the UK, including Northern Ireland.

Drugs: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with drug and medicine manufacturers in relation to the withdrawal of medicines from sale in the Northern Ireland market because of the costs resulting from the operation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

Lord Bethell: The Department, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Northern Ireland Department of Health are continuing to work closely with industry partners and will continue to do so throughout 2021 to help ensure the continuity of supply of medicines to Northern Ireland. This includes regular and intensive engagement with industry to understand any issues and to support them in their preparations to comply with the Protocol.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they have spent on setting up COVID-19 mass vaccination hubs to date.

Lord Bethell: This information is not held in the format requested. It is not possible to separate the costs incurred for setting up COVID-19 mass vaccination hubs from the overall investment in vaccination sites because of their utilisation of cross-programme resources for workforce, logistics and other support. Overall, approximately £4.8 million has been spent on setting up vaccination centres in England.Data on the number of COVID-19 vaccines administered to people through the different vaccine delivery models is currently in the process of being validated and is expected to be published shortly.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangementsare theyputting in place forCOVID-19 vaccinations for Muslims during Ramadan

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have considerednight clinics for the vaccination of Muslims during Ramadan.

Lord Bethell: The Government and NHS England and NHS Improvement have been working closely with local vaccination providers and system partners to put arrangements in place to help support Muslims to receive their vaccination, particularly if they are invited during Ramadan. We have ensured through key messaging from scholarly leaders and the British Islamic Medical Association that it is permissible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine while fasting during Ramadan. We have provided advice and reassurances on questions and concerns around vaccination and Ramadan and we are working closely with local authorities, charities, faith and community groups to ensure these messages are disseminated widely. Effort has been made to promote key messages in faith-based radio stations, TV channels and multi-lingual messages developed by clinical and faith leaders. We have issued guidance to our local partners on actions they should consider with reference to the needs of their local Muslim population during Ramadan which includes: - Extending vaccination sites opening hours during twilight hours in places with high Muslim populations;- Supporting pop-up/roving/temporary vaccination sites in areas with a high Muslim population;- Allowing greater flexibility in booking schedules for later appointments;- Outreach into homes to support those who are housebound and for women; and- Flexibility to vaccinate where needed across Muslim groups, such as vaccinating members of multi-generational households on single visits. We have been working closely with our system partners to support these actions and many are already being implemented. Additionally, we have also been supporting the organisation of women’s only vaccine clinics.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the opinion expressed by consultants at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, as reported in The Times on 21 January, that delaying the second dose of COVID-19 vaccinations risks (1) lower effectiveness, and (2) viral mutation.

Lord Bethell: We have made no such assessment.Public Health England (PHE) is monitoring the effectiveness of the vaccines, including the effects of dosage schedules. Data from the programme shows the first dose of either the BioNTech/Pfizer or Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine provides substantial protection within two to three weeks of vaccination. Additionally, data from PHE’s SIREN study shows that both these vaccines provide high protection against COVID-19 infections in healthcare workers after a single dose, beyond 56 days of having been vaccinated. The second dose completes the course and is vital for longer term protection. By the end of March 2021, it was estimated that a total 10,400 deaths were averted as a consequence of the COVID-19 vaccination programme.PHE is conducting enhanced surveillance for the small number of individuals who may develop COVID-19 post-vaccination. This enhanced surveillance, including viral whole genome sequencing which detects viral mutation, can identify whether an individual did not successfully mount an immune response to a vaccination, or whether the disease presented despite evidence of an immune response to vaccination. Understanding these factors are an important part of ensuring the success of the vaccination programme and allows the Government to understand the evolution of new COVID-19 variants and respond swiftly.

Department for Education

Apprentices: Taxation

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the apprenticeship levy repayment timeframe to cover the duration of the period for which COVID-19 restrictions are in effect.

Baroness Berridge: Due to shortage of time, it has not been possible to answer this question before the end of the Session. The Minister will write to the Member in due course.

Pupils: Ethnic Groups

The Lord Bishop of London: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that Black students in schools and colleges are not disadvantaged disproportionately as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Berridge: Due to shortage of time, it has not been possible to answer this question before the end of the Session. The Minister will write to the Member in due course.

Classroom Assistants: Languages

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish a fund to which schools can apply to cover costs of visas required to recruit foreign language teaching assistants.

Baroness Berridge: Due to shortage of time, it has not been possible to answer this question before the end of the Session. The Minister will write to the Member in due course.

Financial Services: Education

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to include financial education into the national curriculum.

Baroness Berridge: Due to shortage of time, it has not been possible to answer this question before the end of the Session. The Minister will write to the Member in due course.

Education: Finance

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Education Policy Institute Analysis paper: preliminary research findings on education recovery, published on 20 April; and what steps they are taking to ensure that educational recovery funding includes early years settings.

Baroness Berridge: Due to shortage of time, it has not been possible to answer this question before the end of the Session. The Minister will write to the Member in due course.

Teachers: Training

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the (1) quality, and (2) quantity, of continuing professional development training for teachers.

Baroness Berridge: Due to shortage of time, it has not been possible to answer this question before the end of the Session. The Minister will write to the Member in due course.

Graduates: Employment Schemes

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce an employment support scheme for recent university graduates.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The government recognises that a number of graduates will face particular challenges gaining employment due to the ongoing, adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the UK labour market and economy.Our economic priority is to protect jobs and livelihoods, which is why the government has put unprecedented measures in place to protect businesses and jobs. Our extensive support through the furlough scheme, which has been extended to September 2021, the Jobs Support Scheme, grants, loans, and tax cuts has protected thousands of businesses and millions of people.The government is doing all it can to help people who are at the start of their career journey. As part of the government’s skills recovery package ‘Plan for Jobs’, we are investing an additional £32 million in the National Careers Service up to March 2022. By the end of financial year 2021-22, this investment will support delivery of individual careers advice for over 500,000 people whose jobs or education have been affected by the pandemic. This represents an increase of 22%. The Service has introduced a range of new initiatives to continue to support all customers, working with a wide range of partners to offer careers guidance activities designed to support employers, furloughed workers, graduates, students, those who have recently lost their jobs, and anyone whose career path has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Content on the National Careers Service website to support graduates includes information on graduate schemes and internships, sector-specific work experience, virtual work experience, virtual recruitment fairs, volunteering, developing soft skills, finding job vacancies, writing a CV and application form, telephone and video interviews, psychometric testing, using LinkedIn, gap years, and considering further study. On 29 September 2020, we added additional courses to the Skills Toolkit, covering digital, numeracy, and employability skills. The new content includes a range of courses to develop ‘work readiness’ skills that employers value in their new recruits.The Department for Work and Pensions is aiming to have a nationwide network of 27,000 Work Coaches in place by the end of March 2021 to support jobseekers and match them with employers who are recruiting.Many higher education providers have developed new and innovative ways to support students and graduates who are looking to continue their studies or to prepare for employment. The Department for Education is working with Universities UK, the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services, the Institute of Student Employers, the Office for Students, and the sector to understand what more we can do to support graduates who are looking to enter the labour market or continue their studies at this challenging time.

Hospitality Industry and Tourism: Training

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow workers without qualifications in the hospitality and tourism sector to qualify for free level 3 courses.

Baroness Berridge: From 1 April, the government is supporting any adult who does not have A levels or equivalent qualifications to access almost 400 fully funded level 3 courses as part of free courses for jobs.Adults working in the hospitality and tourism sector, who do not already have level 3 qualifications, are eligible to take up this offer. They can gain skills that are valuable across multiple sectors, including in hospitality and tourism, such as business management, accountancy or digital skills.We are keeping the list of qualifications and the sector subject areas in scope under review to ensure that they adapt to the changing needs of the economy.Qualifications not included in this offer will still be eligible for Advanced Learner Loans. Advanced Learner Loans are income-contingent loans that provide extensive coverage of regulated qualifications at level 3 to level 6, helping to meet the up-front tuition fees.

Care Leavers: Social Services

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the forthcoming consultation on national standards for unregulated provision for children in care and care leavers, as announced in the Government’s consultation response Reforms to unregulated provision for children in care and care leavers, published on 19 February, will include a question on whether these standards should apply to care leavers aged 18 and over as well as those aged 16–17.

Baroness Berridge: The upcoming consultation focusses on national standards and Ofsted regulation for independent and semi-independent provision that accommodates looked after children and care leavers aged 16 and 17. These proposals do not apply to care leavers aged over 18.Local authorities are responsible for accommodating care leavers aged 16 or 17. Where local authorities accommodate care leavers in unregulated settings, the new national standards that we are consulting on will apply. When care leavers reach age 18 and become adults, local authorities do not have a duty to accommodate them. However, local authorities do have continuing duties to help care leavers to make a successful transition from care to independence. These duties include providing care leavers with a Personal Adviser, whose role includes helping them to secure suitable accommodation.Care leavers aged 18 to 25 live in a range of settings, with varying levels of support depending on their needs. Where a young person is in foster care immediately before their 18th birthday, local authorities have a duty to support them to Stay Put with their former foster carer to age 21 – around half of eligible young people choose to Stay Put. This includes providing financial support to meet all reasonable costs of supporting the young person. The department has announced funding of over £33 million in the financial year 2021/22 to support implementation, an increase of approximately £10 million on the financial year 2019/20.We are also piloting Staying Close, which provides an enhanced support package for young people leaving residential care. We are committed to the national roll-out of Staying Close in the future. The department also provides funding to local authorities to support care leavers at risk of rough sleeping. Care leavers who become homeless have a priority need in homelessness legislation to age 21.Many care leavers aged over 18 live independently, either in social housing or the private rented sector. Some care leavers aged over 18 live in supported accommodation. The government has published a national statement of expectations for all providers of supported accommodation that sets out what constitutes good quality provision. A copy of this statement is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supported-housing-national-statement-of-expectations/supported-housing-national-statement-of-expectations.

Private Education: Assessments

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what equalities impact assessment they undertook before making the decision to charge private candidates a fee to be assessed by an exam centre in summer 2021.

Baroness Berridge: Given the ongoing disruption to education caused by the COVID-19 outbreak we announced in January that GCSE, AS and A level exams would not go ahead as planned this summer. The department and Ofqual launched joint consultations on 15 January on how to award grades for both general qualifications and vocational and technical qualifications in 2021 so they are robust and fair.We have sought to identify how these alternative arrangements could have a positive or negative impact on students because of their protected characteristics and how any negative impacts could be removed or mitigated. We have undertaken this analysis in line with the public sector equality duty in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 and in line with the published equalities impact statement following the consultation on alternative arrangements for awarding qualifications.Exam boards and Ofqual have built considerable flexibility into the way that centres can gather evidence to determine their students’ grades. This should provide all students with opportunities to generate evidence of their performance and for evidence that already exists to be used where appropriate. Accordingly, the Joint Council for Qualifications have issued guidance for centres about assessing candidates this year, including specific guidance for private candidates, taking into account their different circumstances.Private candidates can work with a centre to be assessed on a range of evidence, which could include evidence from an established educational provider and the board provided assessment materials. These candidates should have the same opportunity as other students to be assessed on what they were taught, and centres can conduct assessments remotely if needed.As with every year, private candidates are expected to contribute to the cost of their exams. This usually includes the entry fee paid to the exam board and an administration fee paid to the centre. Centres working with new private candidates could experience additional workload, for example needing to work with other providers, setting new assessments, working with a different selection of evidence, and understanding the candidate’s situation. To support centres with these additional requirements this year, the Department for Education is providing a grant to centres of £200 per private candidate entry.The grant aims to avoid the cost of this additional and particular work being passed onto candidates, so that candidates can access a centre at a similar cost to a normal exam year.Exam centres claiming the grant are expected to charge candidates the same fee as a normal year, and not more than the maximum fees described in the guidance. We expect the grant to have a beneficial impact on access to centres for all private candidates, including those who share particular protected characteristics.

Lifetime Skills Guarantee

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the number of work-based qualifications included in their proposed Lifetime Skills Guarantee, announced on 29 September 2020.

Baroness Berridge: The Lifetime Skills Guarantee, which my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, announced last September, promises to help people across England to develop the skills that they need at every stage of their life as we build back better from the COVID-19 outbreak.This includes the free courses for jobs offer as well as skills bootcamps, the Lifelong Loan Entitlement and improvements to quality and access for apprenticeships.The free courses for jobs offer gives an estimated 11 million adults in England who are 24 and over, and do not yet have A levels or equivalent qualifications, the opportunity to take their first level 3 qualification for free. This offer is a long-term commitment, backed by £95 million from the National Skills Fund in year one.Complementing this, skills bootcamps offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer. Skills bootcamps have the potential to transform the skills landscape for adults and employers.Work-based learning is not currently an element of the free courses for jobs or skills bootcamps offers. However, as we build on these investments, we will soon launch a consultation to further develop the National Skills Fund to ensure that it delivers a step change in adult learning, preparing adults for the economy of the future.The Lifelong Loan Entitlement will be introduced from 2025, providing individuals with a loan entitlement to the equivalent of four years of post-18 education to use over their lifetime. It will make it easier for people to do courses locally and to study and train part-time, acquiring the skills that can transform their lives. We will be consulting on the detail and scope of the Lifelong Loan Entitlement this year, working closely with employers and learners to fully understand their needs.

Apprentices: Coronavirus

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of apprentices who have been unable to complete their courses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and what support they plan to provide to such apprentices in response.

Baroness Berridge: We are committed to supporting apprentices to safely continue with, and complete, their programmes during the COVID-19 outbreak. Provisional figures show that from August 2020 to January 2021, 59,400 apprentices achieved their apprenticeship (frameworks and standards).We do not hold data on the number of apprentices who have been unable to complete their programme due to the impact of COVID-19. Our data collection system does not capture COVID-19 as a reason for a break in learning or withdrawal, and in many cases there will be a range of reasons for apprentices not completing their apprenticeship.Since 8 March 2021, all apprentices have been able to return to on-site training and assessment.In recognition of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, we introduced a number of flexibilities in March 2020 to ensure that apprenticeships could continue where possible. This included flexibilities to off-the-job training to support remote learning, supporting remote assessment where practicable, and making it possible for furloughed apprentices to continue their apprenticeships and undertake end-point assessments. All assessment flexibilities and discretions put in place due to COVID-19 are extended until at least 31 August 2021. For apprentices who have experienced disruption to their training due to COVID-19 employers can extend the planned duration of the apprenticeship to accommodate this.We are also supporting apprentices who have been made redundant through our Redundancy Support Service for Apprentices, which includes a vacancy sharing scheme to help redundant apprentices find new apprenticeship opportunities with employers. In addition, we have amended legislation to enable more apprentices to complete their apprenticeship in the event of redundancy.We continue to work closely with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, Ofqual and other organisations to mitigate the disruption to assessment, training and employment as a result of COVID-19.

Apprentices: Employment Schemes

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the efficacy of their Apprenticeship Incentive Scheme.

Baroness Berridge: Apprenticeships are more important than ever in helping businesses to recruit the right people and develop the skills they need. To help employers offer new apprenticeships, the government’s Plan for Jobs introduced payments to employers for each new apprentice they recruit since 1 August 2020. We have now increased these payments and employers can now claim £3000 for each apprentice they take on as a new employee between 1 April and 30 September 2021. The increased payment makes it a great time for employers to offer new apprenticeship opportunities, take advantage of existing flexibilities to train apprentices in a way that suits their needs, and contribute to a skills-led recovery.It is encouraging that employers continue to see the value apprentices can bring to their businesses. As of 3 March 2021, employers had so far claimed incentive payments for 34,810 apprentices. Employers can claim £2000 for apprentices hired as new employees from 1 August 2020 to 31 March 2021 aged 24 and under, and £1500 for those 25 and over.We continue to carefully monitor the take-up of incentive payments by employers to ensure we continue to meet their needs as we build back better from the COVID-19 outbreak.Additional analysis of apprenticeship incentive payments claimed to date is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.

Ministry of Justice

Post Offices: ICT

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many sub-postmasters were (1) prosecuted, and (2) convicted, on charges associated with the use of the Horizon computer system; and how long they estimate it will take to (a) review, and (b) resolve, compensation claims in connection with these cases.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Pensions: Fraud

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) convictions have been secured, and (2) penalties awarded, for pension scams for each year since 2010.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Fraud: Prosecutions

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many, and which, regulatory bodies are responsible for the criminal prosecution of fraud; how many successful prosecutions for fraud have been secured by each of these bodies since 2010; and what penalties have been imposed following each, and any, such prosecutions.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Prison Sentences

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the highest number of total previous offences an offender had committed before being given an immediate custodial sentence in each of last two years.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: Obtaining the necessary information to answer the question fully, requires access to the Police National Computer (PNC). This system can only be accessed via a fixed location in our offices, for security reasons. Access to the PNC has thus been severely restricted since March 2020 due to the national restrictions and the need to minimise non-essential travel. I will write to the noble Lord in due course with the information requested, once my officials are able safely to access the PNC and will place a copy of my letter in the House Library.

Crown Dependencies: Finance

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the (1) financial, and (2) other, contributions made by the Crown Dependencies to the UK in return for UK provision of (a) defence, (b) security, (c) international representation, and (d) other services, are reported to Parliament.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Department for International Trade

Lithium

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the likely availability of lithium in 2030, and (2) the likely price of lithium on the world market in 2030.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: HM Government has conducted an assessment of critical mineral supply chains, including lithium, and is considering a range of options to secure a resilient critical minerals supply.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Hong Kong: Freedom of Association

Baroness Eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the protections for freedom of assembly in Hong Kong under (1) Article 27 of Hong Kong’s Basic Law, and (2) Article 17 of Hong Kong’s Bill of Rights, as a consequence of the Sino-British Joint Declaration 1984; what assessment they have made of the extent to which freedom of assembly in Hong Kong has been infringed during the last two years; and what sanctions they intend to impose on (a) the government of China, and (b) individuals acting on behalf of the government of China, as a consequence of any such infringements.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Occupied Territories: Coronavirus

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they plan to put in place to enable more than 20% of the population in the West Bank and Gaza to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Overseas Aid: Coronavirus

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reverse the reduction in foreign aid spending following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Developing Countries: Gender Based Violence

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Foreign Secretary on 21 April (HCWS935), what is the allocation of the Official Development Assistance spend for (1) the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative, and (2) all Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office programmes on violence against women, for 2021/22.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

India: Coronavirus

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what practical assistance they are providing to the government of India to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including in relation to the supply of oxygen.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Overseas Aid

Lord Collins of Highbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the 2021–22 Overseas Development Assistance will be allocated to (1) Gavi, the vaccine alliance, (2) the Global Fund, and (3) the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the reported targeting of 292 Palestinian structures in the West Bank and subsequent displacement of 450 people by the Israeli authorities in the first quarter of 2021, and (2) the implications of this for UK policy in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and what representations they have made to the government of Israel on this matter.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

China: Religious Freedom

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the right to freedom of religion or belief in China, in particular the freedom of Uighurs Muslims.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Myanmar: Politics and Government

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the formation of Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG); and whatplans they have to ensure that the NUG receives recognition and support among UN member states.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Jerusalem: Religious Freedom

Baroness Janke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the restrictions placed on Palestinians in the Old City of Jerusalem during Ramadan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Jerusalem: Religious Freedom

Baroness Janke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent of religious freedom under the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

British Council

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State (Minister for Asia) on 30 June 2020 (63339), what recommendations the strategic review of the British Council includes about its (1) geographical footprint, and (2) programme activity.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

British Council

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State (Minister for Asia) on 30 June 2020 (63339), whether they intend to publish the strategic review of the British Council; and if so, when.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

St Vincent and the Grenadines: Volcanoes

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the World Bank about making concessionary finance available to Caribbean States adversely affected by the volcanic eruptions on St Vincent with a view to addressing (1) immediate health related needs, (2) the (a) short, and (b) long term, infrastructure requirements of the region, and (3) the impact on livelihoods as a result of the eruptions.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

St Vincent and the Grenadines: Volcanoes

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian crisis resulting from the volcanic eruptions on St Vincent; what further assistance they intend to provide to (1) finance, and (2) strengthen, the capacity of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency; and what plans they have to deploy HMS Medway to support the relief effort.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

British Overseas Territories: Finance

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: To ask Her Majesty's Government what contribution each of the Overseas Territories makes to the UK Exchequer in return for the UK Government (1) ensuring their security, and (2) representing their interests abroad.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Africa: Overseas Aid

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much Official Development Assistance (ODA) to (1) the Democratic Republic of the Congo, (2) Lebanon, (3) Libya, (4) Nigeria, (5) Syria, and (6) Somalia, will be reduced as a result of the plan to reduce the commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of gross national income (GNI) on ODA to 0.5 per cent.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

UNRWA

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect the United Nations Relief and Works Agency from any loss of funding resulting from donors being accused of antisemitism for supporting that organisation.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Jerusalem: Violence

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the violence in Jerusalem on 22 April, reportedly caused by far-right Israeli groups.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Bangladesh and Pakistan: Coronavirus

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are providing (1) to the government of Bangladesh, and (2) to the government of Pakistan, to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

India: Coronavirus

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are providing to the government of India to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

China: Press Freedom

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks faced by journalists reporting on human rights violations in China.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

David Cameron

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasions since September 2016 did Rt Hon David Cameron take overnight accommodation at (1) UK Embassies, (2) UK Consulates, or (3) UK Residencies; and whether, on any of these occasions, accommodation was also provided to (a) Lex Greensill, or (b) any associate of Greensill Capital.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

China: Olympic Games

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possibilty of moving the 2022 Winter Olympic Games to another host nation with a better human rights record; and what representations have they made to governments of other nations on moving the 2022 Winter Olympics to another nation.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Human Rights

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their priorities for discussion at the G7 summit regarding human rights; and what plans they have to raise the human rights situation of Uighur Muslims in China at that summit.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

China: Olympic Games

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks faced by British (1) journalists, and (2) athletes, attending the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing; and what plans they have to mitigate any such risks.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Chile: Constitutions

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) economic, and (2) political, assessments they have made of Chile following its adoption of a new constitution.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

David Cameron

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Rt Hon David Cameron stayed at any BritishEmbassies, Consulates or Residencies since he joined Greensill Capital as an adviser in August 2018; if so, whether any of those stays were in (1) France, (2) Germany, (3) Saudi Arabia, or (4) the United States; and whether during any of those stays (1) Mr Lex Greensill, or (2) Mr Bill Crothers, were present at the same time.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

China: Religious Buildings

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of mosques being destroyed in Xinjiang province; and what representations have they made to the government of China on the destruction of mosques.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Tigray: Armed Conflict

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the attack by Eritrean troops in Adwa in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Tigray: Armed Conflict

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative in relation to the situation in Tigray; and what steps they are taking in response to any such assessment.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Tigray: Armed Conflict

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of the use of rape and sexual violence against women in Tigray in regard to indicator 7.9 of the UN Framework for Analysis of Atrocity Crimes.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Nigeria: Armed Conflict

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of attacks by militias from Fulani backgrounds on places of worship in (1) the Middle Belt, and (2) northern states, of Nigeria; and how this compares to the (a) number, and (b) impact, of attacks by Boko Haram on places of worship in Nigeria.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Tigray: Armed Conflict

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of the use of rape and sexual violence against women in Tigray; and what representations have they made to the government of Ethiopia regarding these reports.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Nigeria: Religious Buildings

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported attack by militias from Fulani backgrounds on a Baptist church in Chikun, Nigeria on 25 April; what representations have they made to the government of Nigeria regarding attacks on places of worship; andwhat projects do they currently support in Nigeria that aim to assist places of worship introduce safety measures to protect worshipers from possible attacks.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Kenya: Migrant Camps

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the opposition of the Roman Catholic bishops of Kenya to the closure of the (1) Dadaab, and (2) Kakuma, refugee camps; and what assessment they have made of whether the government of Kenya is entitled to close those camps unilaterally, in particular if there are no proposals for improved voluntary repatriation.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK has long provided support to refugees in Kenya and appreciates the hospitality that the Government of Kenya has for decades shown to refugees and asylum seekers. We are aware of their recent decision to close the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps and are working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other development partners to find solutions that are durable, safe and in line with Kenya's national and international obligations. We acknowledge, as the Roman Catholic Bishops of Kenya have, that full closure of the camps in a short timeframe would pose an significant challenge. We will continue to press for solutions that are designed collaboratively and in line with International Refugee Law.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to donate surplus vaccines to other nations; and if they have such plans, how they will decide which nations will receive those vaccines.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK remains committed to rapid, equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, treatments and tests globally. We have already contributed £548m to the COVAX Advanced Market Commitment, a mechanism to support access for over 100 countries. The Prime Minister confirmed that the UK will share the majority of any surplus vaccines that the UK might have with COVAX and this multilateral mechanism, set up to support international co-operation on vaccines, remains the best way to ensure global equitable access to vaccines.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to work with the governments of other nations to coordinate the (1) donation, and (2) distribution, of surplus vaccines.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Prime Minister has confirmed that the UK will share the majority of any surplus vaccines with COVAX. This multilateral mechanism, set up to support international co-operation on vaccines, remains the best way to ensure global equitable access to vaccines. The UK is committed to rapid, equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, treatments and tests globally.

Voluntary Service Overseas: Grants

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of theexpiry of the bridging grant for Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) on (1) international volunteering, and (2) VSO's,programmes.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Foreign Secretary has announced that we will provide funding to Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) this year in his statement on ODA allocations to Parliament on 21 April. We have offered VSO funding for the V4D programme for 2021/22.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what sources they used to inform their assessment of the situation in Sri Lanka during the civil war in that country between 1 January and 18 May 2009.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK government's assessment of the situation in Sri Lanka during the civil war was informed by a broad range of internal and open source reporting, including from our High Commission in Colombo, international organisations, civil society and media.

Military Attachés

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the information contained in despatches written by UK defence attachés must be independently verified before submission; if so, whether it is standard practice to ensure that such attachés are briefed to that effect; and if so, what record, if any, they hold of Lieutenant Colonel Gash, being so briefed.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Reports from UK Military attachés and diplomats take a wide variety of forms. Some report events which they have directly observed; some report the views or assertions of others; some focus on judgements or provide analysis. There is no blanket requirement for information to be independently verified before submission, which in many situations will not be possible. The context of reporting will inform the weight that is attached to it. Reports from our defence attachés, together with many other sources, contribute to the UK government's overall understanding of events overseas.

Cecilia Chimbiri and Joana Mamombe

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they intend to make to the government of Zimbabweabout reports thathuman rights abuses have been committed against Joanna Mamombe and Cecilia Chimbiri.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We regularly engage with the Government of Zimbabwe to urge adherence to their human rights obligations and to respect the freedoms and rights enshrined in the Zimbabwean Constitution. The Minister for Africa has followed the cases of Joanna Mamombe and Cecilia Chimbiri closely. He publically registered his concern over their arrests on 5 February 2021, and on 29 March he highlighted the continued harassment of the political opposition, calling for all to be treated equally under law. The British Embassy in Harare remains in contact with Ms Mamombe and Ms Chimbiri and their lawyers.We remain clear that the Government of Zimbabwe must meet its international and domestic obligations by respecting the rule of law, safeguarding human rights, and committing to genuine political and economic reform for the benefit of all Zimbabweans. Her Majesty's Government will continue to speak out, both privately and in public, where we have concerns and we will work alongside the international community to support a better future for all Zimbabweans.

Denmark: Refugees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Denmark about reports (1) that it plans to remove the residence permits ofSyrian refugees currently residing in Denmark, and (2) that such refugees have been mistreated in deportation camps.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: When we have concerns about humanitarian issues and conditions in a country, we raise these directly with the government concerned. Denmark is party to both the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the 1951 Refugee Convention and we are confident that Denmark has a robust legal rationale to demonstrate this approach and is in compliance with its obligations under both Conventions.

Mozambique: Peace Negotiations

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of plans to restore peace in north-east Mozambiquefollowing the impact of theinsurgency linked to Islamic State.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK is deeply concerned by the deteriorating security situation in the north-east of Mozambique, and the increasing attacks by groups with links to Islamic extremism. As the Minister for Africa made clear publicly on 26 and 28 March, we condemn the recent appalling attacks in Palma, Cabo Delgado and we stand with the people of Mozambique against terrorism. To date, the insurgency has claimed over 2,000 lives and displaced over 700,000 people.We are working with the Government of Mozambique to address the root drivers of conflict and instability, including through engagement with the Government of Mozambique's regional development authority in Cabo Delgado, and by providing targeted assistance under the framework of a Defence Memorandum of Understanding. The UK also co-chairs, with Ireland, the International Community Crisis Taskforce. This brings together the Mozambican government and the international community in high-level discussion about humanitarian and other crises, including the ongoing crisis in Cabo Delgado. UK Aid has provided £20m of humanitarian and development support to people in the north-east of Mozambique, ensuring they have access to food, shelter and basic healthcare.

Gulf Strategy Fund

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government, furtherto theirGulf Strategy Fund Programme summary, published on 30 March, what human rights (1) due diligence, and (2) safeguarding, procedures are applied to Gulf Strategy Fund (GSF) projects; what are the objectives ofGSF funded projects in Bahrain aimed at (a) building the capacity of oversight bodies, (b) police reform, and (c) developing counter-terrorism capabilities; which organisations receivefunding through the GSF; and how much has so far been (i) spent by, and (ii) allocated to, the GSF in the 2021/22 financial year.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Gulf Strategy Fund allocation for 2021/22 is £10m. Individual country allocations are under consideration. Projects will be delivered through Government Departments and Agencies, commercial contracts and staff recruited on local contracts.Due diligence around human rights considerations is considered through the use of Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) assessments.The objectives of the Bahrain projects are a) to support local oversight bodies to develop a complaints management system to ensure greater police accountability and enhance public confidence in Bahrain's transparency procedures, b) to contribute towards the Bahraini-led reform programme which includes promoting evidence-based police investigations in line with best international standards and c) to help develop Bahrain's thinking and capability around the prevention of extremist violence.

Military Attachés

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the despatches written by Lieutenant Colonel Gash, the former defence attaché of the British High Commission in Sri Lanka about events in that country between 1 January and 18 May 2009 relating to the civil war, whether they consider all reports by UK military attachés and diplomats to be evidence based-assessments.

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they used to assess the credibility of evidence reports they have received which related to the situation in Sri Lanka during the civil war in that country between 1 January and 18 May 2009; and whether it has ever been their practice to accept reports from unnamed sources.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Reports from UK Military attachés and diplomats take a wide variety of forms. Some report events which they have directly observed; some report the views or assertions of others; some focus on judgements or provide analysis. These, along with other sources, contribute to the UK government's overall understanding of events overseas.

Saudi Arabia: USA

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of the United States regardingitsdiplomatic relationship with the government of Saudi Arabia.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We maintain an open and regular dialogue with the Government of the United States of America about a range of issues, including diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia.

Egypt: Water

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether, if at all, the ability of the government of Ethiopia to use water from the River Nile to support its (1) people, (2) agriculture, and (3) industry is affected by the 1929 Agreement, brokered by the UK, between the governments of Egypt and Sudan.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: This is why the UK continues to urge all parties involved in the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan - to come to an agreement on the issues around the dam, including its filling and operation. We support the efforts by the African Union (AU) to help find agreement, and ensure that water resources are managed in a way that ensures their long-term sustainable use for all parties. We continue to speak to all three Governments through our Embassies in those countries, and regularly engage the US and EU as observers to the AU-led process, including through the UK Special Envoy for the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. The Minister for Africa also raised the issue with the Ethiopian Ambassador on 24 February.

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Politics and Government

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the(1) economic, (2) humanitarian, and (3) political, situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK is deeply concerned about the economic and humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). DRC is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 66 million people living in absolute poverty and a GDP per capita of only $545. It is also the world's largest food security crisis, with 27.3 million requiring food assistance. As one of the largest bilateral donors to DRC, we are providing life-saving assistance to 3 million people and playing a leading role in raising the profile of the humanitarian crisis. We are also providing basic health and education services, improving the environment for business, increasing people's incomes, and strengthening stability and governance.Following appointment of the new Government in April, the UK is working closely with the DRC authorities to ensure that they deliver on their commitment to widespread reforms. Reforms are crucial to ensure credible 2023 elections, improve stability in the east, increase revenues, and tackle corruption to unlock DRC's huge economic potential. The Minister for Africa discussed the importance of delivering on this agenda with President Tshisekedi during his visit to DRC in November 2020 and again during a telephone call in March this year.

Mansour al-Shahateet

Baroness Janke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Mansour Shahateet spent 10 years in solitary confinement during 17 years’ incarceration in an Israeli prison; and what assessment they have made of the compatibility of long-periods of solitary confinement with human rights principles.

Baroness Janke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) physical, and (2) mental, health support available to Palestinians held in Israeli prisons; and what assessment they have made of the long-term health impact on Palestinians held for more than 10 years in Israeli prisons after their release.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are aware of reports concerning Mansour Shahateet's detention. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation, including the treatment of Palestinian prisoners. We remain committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to prison conditions and detention practices, including the provision of essential healthcare services upon release. In instances where there have been accusations of ill-treatment, we advocate swift, transparent investigation.

Cyprus: Politics and Government

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of why the most recent attempt to reach a settlement in Cyprus was unsuccessful; what plans they have to push for a settlement based on the equal rights for both parts of the island; and what preparations to pursue such an equal settlement they have made for the United Nations talks to be held in Geneva on 27 April.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: In 2017, the two Cypriot Leaders, supported by the UN Secretary-General who played an important role, came closer than ever before to reaching a settlement. Unfortunately, this did not prove possible, which led the UN Secretary-General to close the Conference.A Cyprus Settlement is in the best interests of the Cypriot communities and the wider region. The Foreign Secretary has therefore been actively engaged in support of UN efforts to find a Cyprus solution and will represent the UK as a Guarantor Power at the UN-led informal five-party talks from 27-29 April.Ahead of talks, the Foreign Secretary spoke to the Cypriot FM on 22 March and the Turkish Foreign Minister on 23 March. The Foreign Secretary visited the island on 4 February and met President Anastasiades, Turkish Cypriot leader Tatar and the UN. The Foreign Secretary also met the Greek Foreign Minister on 2 February. The UK is urging all sides to approach the UN talks in a spirit of flexibility and compromise. During the Minister for the Americas and European Neighbourhood's visit to Cyprus (7-9 April), she reiterated this message and the UK's support for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Cyprus issue.

African Union: Coronavirus

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) advice, and (2) support, they are giving to the African Union to minimise the number of COVID-19 vaccinations that expire before being used.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK has deployed a Senior Global Health Security Adviser to the African Union (AU), and through membership of the Africa Vaccines Delivery Alliance provides advice to the AU on vaccine planning and deployment. The FCDO draws upon its network of Embassies and country based technical advisers to identify challenges on the ground, sharing information with the AU to determine an appropriate response. Through the World Health Organisation's (WHO) African COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment Taskforce the UK works with partners, including the Africa Centre for Disease Control, to assess country preparedness and build capacity for vaccine deployment. At national level, FCDO programmes have adapted to support vaccine campaigns. For example, in Nigeria, the Lafiya programme contributes to vaccine technical working groups including data and monitoring adverse events and wastage.The UK has committed £548 million to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment to support global equitable access to vaccines. This includes technical support to countries to develop and implement National Deployment and Vaccination Plans, guiding the rapid roll of out of vaccines from COVAX, bilateral deals and other donations in line with WHO guidelines. The UK has provided £20m to the AU's Covid-19 Response Fund, which provides equipment and supplies to Member States to support vaccine deployment.

West Bank: Schools

Baroness Janke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the education of children in the West Bank of (1) restrictions on access to reliable (a) electricity, and (b) internet services, and (2) COVID-19 related restrictions on their physical attendance at schools.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: It is essential to have a strong and thriving Palestinian education system to provide opportunities for the next generation. UK aid works to support the Palestinian education system; in financial year 2020/21 we provided £20m in funding to the Palestinian Authority to support the salaries of education workers in the West Bank. Our ongoing programme support to UNRWA also helps to provide education to children across the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), including virtually since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. UK aid also works to address the barriers to economic development in the OPTs, including through work to improve the quality and reliability of energy. We will continue to monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education of children in the OPTs but have not made a formal assessment.

Chatham House and Imperial College: Arms Control

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to cooperate with Chatham House and Imperial College on the development of an interactive complex model of the nuclear arms control system; and if not, why not.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Government continues to work for the preservation and strengthening of effective arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation measures, taking into account the prevailing security environment. To that end, we will continue our engagement with civil society and academia. The Government welcomes this project and will follow it with interest.

Palestinians: Refugees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they are providing in the current financial year to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees; and whether they will publicise the needs of Palestinian refugees in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK is a longstanding supporter of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). We are clear that a fair settlement for Palestinian refugees must be agreed as part of a wider negotiated peace settlement. Until that time, the UK remains firmly committed to supporting UNRWA and Palestinian refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. In Financial Year 2020/2021, the UK provided £63.6m to UNRWA, which includes £7m to the Syria Emergency Appeal and £3.8m to the OPTs Emergency Appeal. Decisions on UK aid to UNRWA in Financial Year 2021/2022 are currently being considered in the context of a temporary overall reduction in Overseas Development Assistance, as announced by the Foreign Secretary on 26 November.

Turkey: Human Rights

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have assessed, or plan to assess, theextentto which (1) refugee child labour, (2) child labour by Syrian refugees, and (3) discrimination against trade union members is taking place in Turkey.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We have regular discussions with Turkish counterparts, including ministers, about human rights issues, where we encourage Turkey to take greater steps to improve its human rights record. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas raised a range of human rights issues on 21 April with her Turkish counterpart. We welcomed the publication of Turkey's human rights action plan on 2 March 2021 and urge Turkey to ensure its prompt and thorough implementation.Through the UK's Conflict, Stability and Security Fund we have provided capacity building partnerships, and promoted human rights standards, with Turkish government institutions involved in migration management and the labour market, which includes trade unions. This work is supporting an evidence-based approach on tackling child and labour trafficking; fostering the protection of vulnerable migrants in the workplace; and promoting greater access to opportunities in formal labour sectors.

Turkey: Human Rights

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the bipartisan letter signed by 170 members of the US House of Representatives in March, urging the government of the United States of America to address alleged human rightsviolations in Turkey; and what actions the UK Government will take in response to those allegations.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We share many of the concerns highlighted in the US House of Representatives' letter to Secretary of State Blinken, not least around freedom of expression and political debate. We are clear in our expectation that Turkey, like all countries, should live up to its human rights obligations towards all its citizens. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas raised a range of human rights issues on 21 April with her Turkish counterpart and urged swift implementation of the Human Rights Action Plan published in March. Working with the US and other international partners, we will continue to encourage Turkey, including at Ministerial level, to act in line with the conventions of the Council of Europe and to make greater progress on wider human rights reforms.

Jagtar Singh Johal

Baroness Clark of Kilwinning: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representationsthey have made to the government of India about the imprisonment of Jagtar Singh Johal.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We regularly raise Mr Johal's case directly with the Government of India, including his allegations of torture, his right to a fair trial, and concerns about delays to legal proceedings against him. We have emphasised to the Government of India the need for Mr Johal's torture allegations to be fully investigated. The Foreign Secretary raised Mr Johal's case with the Indian Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on 15 December 2020. The Secretary of State for International Trade raised the case with the Indian Minister for Law and Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad, on 5 February. As the Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon last raised Mr Johal's case with the Indian High Commissioner on 16 April 2021. He also raised Mr Johal's case with the Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kishan Reddy, and with Minister Prasad on 15 March.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Voluntary Service Overseas

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to make a decision on the future of the long-term partnership between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Foreign Secretary announced that we would provide funding to Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) this year in his statement on ODA allocations to Parliament on 21 April. We have offered VSO funding for the V4D programme until the end of this financial year 2021/22. Officials have also started discussions with VSO on our future relationship.

Voluntary Service Overseas: Finance

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to make a long-term decision on the funding for Voluntary Service Overseas.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Foreign Secretary announced that we would provide funding to Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) this year in his statement on ODA allocations to Parliament on 21 April. We have offered VSO funding for the V4D programme until the end of this financial year 2021/22. Officials have also started discussions with VSO on our future relationship.

Germany: British National (Overseas)

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that officials in Germanyhave declined to recognise the status of British National (Overseas) passport holders; and what steps they intend to take to ensure the status of the passport is recognised by (1) the authorities in Germany, and (2) the authorities in other countries.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are aware that the Hong Kong SAR Government recently wrote to several foreign Consulates urging them not to accept BN(O) passports for visa applications. The Hong Kong Government has no authority to dictate which passports foreign governments recognise as valid. We will continue to issue BN(O) passports, which remain valid travel documents. We are in contact with relevant Government authorities, including the German authorities, on this issue.

Armenia and Azerbaijan: Foreign Relations

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the opening of a museum in Azerbaijan on the second Nagorno Karabakh War on relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government is aware of the opening of a museum in Azerbaijan following the recent Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. During her February visit to the region, the Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas urged all sides to refrain from rhetoric or actions that may delay dialogue or reconciliation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We continue to urge engagement with the OSCE Minsk Group and Minsk Group Co-Chairs to settle all outstanding matters following last year's conflict to ensure a secure and stable future and a move towards productive dialogue.

Myanmar: Democracy

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the re-establishment of democracy in Myanmar.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK has been at the forefront of the international response to the coup in Myanmar, and we continue to call for a return to democracy. On 10 March we secured a unanimous Presidential Statement at the UN Security Council which called for respect for the democratic transition and human rights and an end to violence. The Foreign Secretary and Minister for Asia have spoken to a wide range of counterparts, including the US, France, Germany and Japan. They have also engaged with partners in ASEAN, including with the ASEAN Secretary General, to seek a strong and coordinated response. We welcome ASEAN's Five Point Plan on Myanmar and agree with ASEAN Leaders that the violence must end immediately. We have provided a platform for pro-democracy voices at the UN Human Rights Council and UN Security Council.We are also looking to exert direct pressure on the military and have sanctioned nine leaders and two of the key military conglomerates which fund the military's actions. We will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to encourage dialogue, find a peaceful resolution to the crisis, and restore democracy.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Military Bases

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to secure the future of the military base on Diego Garcia by negotiating a settlement of the sovereignty dispute with the government of Mauritius.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: There are no current plans for negotiations with the Government of Mauritius on the future of BIOT. We remain open to dialogue with Mauritius on matters of shared interest, including BIOT and its Marine Protected Area (MPA).

Alexei Navalny

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what, if any, response they have received from the government of Russia to the statement by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 18 April reiterating their call for Alexey Navalny’s “immediate release from his politically motivated imprisonment”; and what information they have on Alexey Navalny’s health since that date.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK is deeply concerned by reports of Mr Navalny's hospitalisation and the continued deterioration of his health. Mr Navalny must be given immediate access to independent medical care and we reiterate our call for his immediate release from his politically motivated imprisonment. We note recent media reporting that Mr Navalny has ended his hunger strike and will continue to monitor closely reports about his health.We raise Mr Navalny's case regularly with the Russian Government. Most recently, our Embassy in Moscow raised it with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 15 April.

China: Falun Gong

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the China Tribunal Judgment, published on 17 June 2019, on the government of China’s organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners; and what action they intend to take regarding the government of China’s treatment of Falun Gong practitioners.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We remain concerned by all restrictions placed on freedom of religion or belief in China, including on practitioners of Falun Gong. We continue to monitor the issue of alleged organ harvesting closely and consider carefully all evidence presented to us. As we have previously stated, if the allegations of systematic, state sponsored organ harvesting are true they would constitute very grave violations of human rights.

China: Falun Gong

Baroness Fookes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of China regarding their treatment of the followers of Falun Gong.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We remain deeply concerned about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and others on the grounds of their religion or belief in China. The freedom to practice, change or share ones faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a human right that all people should enjoy. We regularly raise our concerns about the human rights situation with the Chinese authorities, and will continue to do so.

Myanmar: Humanitarian Aid

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 9 March (HL13388), what further steps they have taken to respond to appeals for the urgent delivery of cross-border humanitarian assistance in Burma.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: FCDO officials are in close contact with humanitarian delivery partners in Myanmar and on the Thai border to understand and respond to emerging need. Since the military coup, the UK Government has provided over £5 million additional funding for the humanitarian response. This includes £600,000 to partners to support displacement within Myanmar and support those fleeing into Thailand.

Iran: Yemen

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last discussed (1) the conflict in Yemen, and (2) Iranian support for the Houthis, with the government of Iran; and what assessment they have made of the statement by the US Special Envoy on Yemen, Tim Lenderking, on 21 April, calling Iran's support for the Houthi militia “quite significant” and “lethal”.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Foreign Secretary speaks regularly with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif. He and his officials take every opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues with Iran, including regional stability and security. We are clear Iran must end its destabilising interference in Yemen, which has stoked further conflict in Yemen and the Houthis' reckless cross-border strikes into Saudi Arabia. We have raised this concern with the Iranian government. Iran's provision of weapons to the Houthis is widely documented, including in reports by the UN Panel of Experts, and is in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2216.While Iran has stated that it supports UN-led efforts to bring peace to Yemen, we urge Iran to ensure its actions are consistent with this commitment. Iran should fully support the proposals by the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, including for an urgent nationwide ceasefire.

China: Foreign Relations

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding they have allocated to the Great Britain China Centre over the last 30 years; how that organisation relates to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; what assessment they have made of its contribution to diplomatic relationswith the government of China; and what steps they take to ensure that human rights and other ethical considerations are taken into account when developing business links with China.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Great Britain China Centre (GBCC) is an arms-length body of the FCDO which currently receives £500K per annum in funding. The Statistics on International Development (SID) provides an overview of official UK spend, dating back to 2009. The 2019 data was published on GOV.UK on 24 September and can be viewed through the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-on-international-development-final-uk-aid-spend-2019). The GBCC supports UK objectives in China, including facilitating dialogues on issues of shared importance, and delivering projects on rule of law and judicial cooperation. The 2019 triennial tailored review of the GBCC concluded that it plays a key role in developing relationships and promoting understanding between the UK and China and has a disproportionate impact on UK-China relations relative to the funding it receives. The GBCC's mandate does not include developing business links with China.

China: Overseas Aid

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much development funding they have provided to China in each of the past 15 years; and what the funding was used for.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Details of UK bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) to China between 2009 to 2019 can be found in table A4b of the Statistics on International Development (SID), published on the gov.uk website athttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/920048/Table-A4b.ods. Please note in line with SID revision policy there has been a minor revision to the 2019 SID dataset. A data processing error in reporting meant that the published 2019 figure of UK ODA spend in China was £500,000 lower than the actual spend [as the Grant in Aid ODA for the Great Britain-China Centre (GBCC) was mistakenly attributed to 'developing countries unspecified']. This revision does not affect the headline ODA figure which was £68 million UK bilateral ODA to China in 2019.Further details on the programmes that underpin the figures in table A4b, including project titles and descriptions, can be found in the ODA activity level datasets published on gov.uk:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/921034/Data_Underlying_SID_2019.ods (for 2017-2019) andhttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/695435/data-underlying-the-sid2017-revision-March.ods (for 2009 - 2016).UK historical ODA spending is collected and published by the OECD. Information on UK ODA spend from 2005 to 2008 can be found online at https://stats.oecd.org/qwids/#?x=2&y=6&f=3:51,4:1,1:23,5:3,7:1&q=3:51+4:1+1:23+5:3+7:1+2:36+6:2005,2006,2007,2008.

British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies: Defence

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what resources they provide for defending each of the (1) Crown Dependencies, and (2) British Overseas Territories; and what is the total cost of such resources.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Climate Change

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of mitigating climate change on reducing conflict in sub-Saharan Africa.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Horn of Africa: Renewable Energy

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution that renewable energy projects could make to (1) economic development, (2) skills development, and (3) job creation, in the Horn of Africa region.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Horn of Africa: Renewable Energy

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are providing to renewable energy projects in the Horn of Africa region.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Climate Change

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of (1) UK, and (2) global, climate finance that is directed to sub-Saharan Africa.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Germany: British National (Overseas)

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that officials in Germanyhave declined to recognise the status of British National (Overseas) passport holders; and what steps they intend to take to ensure the status of the passport is recognised by (1) the authorities in Germany, and (2) the authorities in other countries.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware that the Hong Kong SAR Government recently wrote to several foreign Consulates urging them not to accept BN(O) passports for visa applications. The Hong Kong Government has no authority to dictate which passports foreign governments recognise as valid. We will continue to issue BN(O) passports, which remain valid travel documents. We are in contact with relevant Government authorities, including the German authorities, on this issue.

Occupied Territories: War Crimes

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they made of the application of (1) international law, and (2) human rights principles, when making their decision to oppose an inquiry by the International Criminal Court into allegations of war crimes committed in the West Bank and Gaza since 2014.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As the Prime Minister said in his letter to the Conservative Friends of Israel, the UK is a strong supporter of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and we respect the independence of the Court. In this instance we do not consider that the ICC has jurisdiction. We continue to closely follow the ICC's work and are looking at the implications of this decision.

China: Prosperity Fund

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by theGreat Britain China Centre Reports and Accounts, published on 31 March 2019, how much funding they have provided through theProsperity Fund to resource projects seeking to enable"fairer market access and advancing economic reform to support China’s prosperity”;what assessment they have made of the outcome ofany such projects;what due diligence they undertake intothe companies which participate in those programmes; and whatassessment they have made of whether those companies have any links to forced labour supply chains.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The China Business Environment programme, funded through the former UK cross-government Prosperity Fund (PF), supports work in protecting intellectual property, improving international standards, the investment environment, commercial dispute resolution and anti-money laundering initiatives. It is designed to contribute to a fairer, more transparent and predictable business environment for all business in China, including international and UK companies.In 2020, the programme supported business environment reform in China by contributing to 3 major legal and regulatory changes; including on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), anti-monopoly measures and strengthening China's legal regime on 'force majeure'. A full assessment of the China Business Environment programme can be found in the 2019 Annual Review online via https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/china-prosperity-fund-programme.

William Shawcross

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had withWilliam Shawcross, former Special Representative on UK victims of Gaddafi-sponsored IRA terrorism, on his report on compensation for UK victims.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, The Rt Hon James Cleverly MP, and I made a Written Ministerial Statement in response to Mr Shawcross's report on compensation for UK Victims of Qadhafi-Sponsored IRA Terrorism. As ministerial lead on the issue, The Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa and senior FCDO officials kept Mr Shawcross informed of work on the Government's response to his report.

Occupied Territories: Coronavirus

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the availability of COVID-19 vaccines to people living inthe Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We were pleased to note that the Palestinian National COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign began on 21 March following the first shipment of over 60,000 doses from the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) on 17 March. The UK is committed to global equitable access to effective vaccines as demonstrated by our £548m contribution to the COVAX AMC. The second shipment of 72,000 doses also arrived on 19 April 2021.We remain in close contact with the Palestinian Authority on their vaccination campaign and the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa most recently discussed this issue with the Palestinian Health Minister on 23 March 2021. We also continue to raise the importance of timely and appropriate access to COVID-19 vaccines with the Israeli Authorities, including through our Embassy In Tel Aviv.

Afghanistan: Females

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the rights of women in civil society in Afghanistan, including the right to education for girls, are protected following the withdrawal of UK and NATO troops in September.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK remains committed to supporting Afghanistan on its path to a more peaceful and positive future. We will continue to work closely with the UN, Afghanistan and our international partners to intensify peace efforts as NATO forces drawdown.The UK has assisted in the significant improvement in the rights of all Afghans, including women and minorities. There are 8.2 million more children in school now than in 2002, including 3.7 million girls. However, only a negotiated and inclusive settlement will safeguard the rights and freedoms that Afghans want and deserve. We will continue to make clear to all sides that any political settlement must protect progress, including protection for women and minorities.

Iran: Foreign Relations

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government, what discussions they have had with the government of Iran following its announcement thatit intends to produce 60 per cent enriched uranium in retaliation for the cyberattack on the Natanz nuclear plant on 11 April.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Iran's announcement on 16 April that they have started uranium enrichment up to 60% using advanced centrifuges is a serious and deeply worrying development in violation of its nuclear commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA). This is the latest step in Iran's continued and systematic non-compliance with the JCPoA. The production of highly enriched uranium is an important step in the production of a nuclear weapon. Iran has no credible civilian need for enrichment at this level.The UK has made multiple official level representations to the Iranians on this issue, both bilaterally and as part of the E3 alongside the governments of France and Germany. As the E3 said in a statement on 14 April, this step is contrary to the constructive spirit and good faith of discussions in Vienna that have the objective of finding a rapid diplomatic solution to revitalise and restore the JCPoA.We continue to work with the parties to the JCPoA and the US Administration to seize the diplomatic opportunity for a full return to the JCPoA. We call upon Iran to avoid any escalatory measures which make a return to mutual compliance harder to achieve.

Africa: Renewable Energy

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support independent power producers in the renewal energy sector on the continent of Africa through the African Union.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The African Union (AU) is a continental leader on climate change. We are helping to bolster this leadership through support for their AU Green Recovery Action Plan, endorsed in November 2019 by the AU Commission. Promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency is a central pillar of the Action Plan. It prioritises: "Work to secure investment (public and private) and technology transfer in grid expansion, transmission, distribution and efficiency improvements, to widen access to electricity, while increasing the roll-out of mini-grids and off-grid products to those that cannot reach the national grid".

Tigray: Females

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Ethiopia regarding reports of women being held in sexual slavery in Tigray.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is appalled by the widespread reports of women taken hostage and enduring torture, cruel treatment and sexual violence, in the Tigray region. The G7, under the UK Presidency, issued a statement on 2 April condemning human rights violations including sexual violence. The UK also condemned in the strongest terms the reported killings of civilians and acts of sexual violence via a joint statement on Ethiopia with 41 other countries at the 46th Session of the Human Rights Council. We continue to call for independent, international investigations into allegations of human right abuses.British Embassy staff conducted a specific protection mission to Shire in Tigray on 4-7 April. It assessed of the current Gender-Based Violence (GBV) response, specific emergency services provided in camps and the remaining gaps. They interviewed staff and volunteers supporting survivors of sexual violence to identify essential activities required to address the immediate needs of the survivors as well as the accountability needs.

Africa: Coronavirus

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the scale of COVID-19 vaccine-related fraud in Africa.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is providing £548 million to the COVAX initiative, which enables equitable access to vaccines. COVAX is led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which works closely with governments and other development partners to ensure robust governance and programme management measures are in place to deliver vaccines. The UK has zero tolerance for corruption, which extends to the roll-out of vaccines. In recognition of the increased risks associated with COVID-19 vaccine-related fraud, Gavi is supporting additional measures to strengthen health systems and increase transparency, which includes digital tracking and immunisation records. Stakeholders, including civil society at country level can report concerns directly to Gavi partners or use the Gavi Ethics Hotline.The WHO is also supporting countries to prevent, detect, and respond to the growing threat of substandard and falsified (SF) medical products, including for COVID-19. WHO Member States are encouraged to report SF medical products, including for COVID-19, to the WHO Global Surveillance and Monitoring System (GSMS). Since March 2021, the GSMS has recorded over 50 SF medical products globally (including vaccines) that have a link to the ongoing pandemic. In Africa, SF products have been identified and reported in Ghana, Kenya, South Sudan, RSA, and Nigeria.

Russia: Sanctions

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government, what assessment they have made of the efficacy as adeterrent of the sanctions imposed on the government of Russia since 2014.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK continues to support a robust approach in response to Russia's malign activity. Sanctions are an important tool in delivering targeted economic and political pressure in order to change Russian behaviour. The UK has transitioned existing EU Russia sanctions regimes into UK law through regulations made under the Sanctions Act. The sanctions set out clear conditions for Russia to meet including the full implementation of the Minsk Agreement and the withdrawal of troops from Ukrainian soil. Until this happens sanctions will remain in place. As long as Russia persists in its efforts to undermine our interests and values, we will work with our international partners to continue to deter and counter them.

Ethiopia: Dams

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help resolve the dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over the effect of the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the flow of water in the River Nile; and what representations they have made to the governments of (1) Egypt, and (2) Ethiopia, on this issue.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK continues to urge all parties involved in the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan - to come to an agreement on the filling and operation of the dam. We support the efforts by the African Union (AU) to help find agreement, and ensure that water resources are managed in a way that ensures their long-term sustainable use for all parties. We continue to speak to all three Governments through our Embassies in those countries, and regularly engage the US and EU as observers to the AU-led process, including through the UK Special Envoy for the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. The Minister for Africa also raised the issue with the Ethiopian Ambassador on 24 February.

Ethiopia: Electoral Register

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the voter registration exercise in Ethiopia.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is supporting the organisation of elections with up to £15m assistance to a UN programme which supports the National Elections Board of Ethiopia (NEBE). There have been substantial improvements delivered by NEBE, but candidate registration and voter registration have been subject to profound delays and difficulties. The UK, together with the EU, US, Sweden and UN, met with Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen and Attorney General Gedion Timothewos on 14 April to raise our concerns about those delays. The Foreign Secretary spoke with Prime Minister Abiy during his visit to Ethiopia on 22 January and discussed the importance of credible elections in maintaining peace and stability.

Fossil Fuels: Overseas Investment

Baroness Blackstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 25 February (HL13294), what assessment they have made of the Science Based Targets initiative; and whether any fossil fuel projects permitted under the "very limited exceptions” will be limited to investments and loan guarantees to organisations committed to the targets of that initiative.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Science Based Targets initiative aims to obtain commitments from corporates to reduce their impact on climate change, based on their proportionate contribution to climate targets. As the exemptions within the Government's new policy on support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas are not restricted to corporations, the Science Based Targets initiative was not considered during the formulation of the exemptions within the new policy.The Government published detailed guidance accompanying the change to its policy on support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas on 31 March which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-the-government-will-implement-its-policy-on-support-for-the-fossil-fuel-energy-sector-overseas. We will consider any requests for project financing against the published guidance. The policies of CDC, the UK's development finance institution, are well aligned to the delivery of the Government's new policy.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to defend the territorial integrity of Ukraine against Russian aggression.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Russia's build-up of military forces near the Ukrainian border and within illegally annexed Crimea indicates a troubling escalation in its ongoing campaign of aggression towards Ukraine and its militarisation of the illegally annexed peninsula.On 12 April, the Foreign Ministers of the G7 issued a joint statement, in which they called on Russia to cease its provocations and reaffirmed our unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We have also raised our concerns about the increased Russian military activity on Ukraine's border at the OSCE.There has been regular Ministerial and senior official level engagement with the Government of Ukraine and with our allies on this issue. The Foreign Secretary and the Defence Secretary spoke to their Ukrainian counterparts on 2 April and the Prime Minister had discussions with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine on 5 April to assure them of the UK's support.As a fellow Permanent Member of the UN Security Council, we engage directly with Russia on matters of international peace and security, including Ukraine. We continue to raise our concerns with the Russian government at every opportunity. Our Ambassador in Moscow has spoken to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mostly recently on 16 April, to express our deep concern about the build-up of Russian troops at the Ukrainian border, to reiterate our call for Russia to de-escalate, and to underline our support for Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity.We will continue working closely with partners to monitor the situation, and consider all options.

Palestinians: Coronavirus

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofreports that Palestinians were deniedentry to the Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan by Israeli forces on the basis that they had not been (1) tested for COVID-19, or (2) vaccinated against COVID-19; and what assessment they have made of the availability of COVID-19 (a) tests, and (b) vaccines, to Palestinians living in the West Bank.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Haram Al-Sharif/Temple Mount and Jerusalem hold particular significance for many groups around the globe, especially the three Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. We support the freedom of Muslims to worship at Al Haram Al Sharif. In meetings with the Israeli authorities we regularly raise the need to respect the status quo of the holy sites in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.The UK is committed to global equitable access to effective vaccines as demonstrated by our £548 million contribution to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) - the international initiative to support global equitable access to vaccines. We remain in close contact with the Palestinian Authority on their vaccination campaign and ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Minister Cleverly most recently discussed this issue with the Palestinian Health Minister on 23 March 2021. We also continue to raise the importance of timely and appropriate access to COVID-19 vaccines with the Israeli Authorities, including through our Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Myanmar: United Nations

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking with (1) international partners, and (2) Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries, toencourage the government of Myanmarto allowthe UN Special Envoy for Myanmar to access that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We welcome the strong statements from the UN Secretary General in response to the coup and subsequent violence. We are working with his office, and with partners including ASEAN, to explore all options such as a high-level UN Special Envoy visit to seek a peaceful resolution to the crisis. The Minister for Asia has met the United Nations Special Envoy to Myanmar to discuss the UK's concern at the coup and how we can ensure a coordinated international response.

Ethiopia: Dams

Lord Stone of Blackheath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the government of Ethiopia’s decision to begin filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in July 2020 without the agreement of other countries through which the River Nile runs, and (2) the possibility of further such unilateral actions; what representations they will make to the government of Ethiopia to prevent further unilateral actions being taken in relation to the GERD; what assessment they have made of the status of the multilateral negotiations on the GERD led by the African Union; and what plans they have to raise issues regarding the management of the Nile in the United Nations Security Council.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK continues to urge all parties involved in the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan - to come to an agreement on the filling and operation of the dam. We support the efforts by the African Union (AU) to help find agreement, and ensure that water resources are managed in a way that ensures their long-term sustainable use for all parties. We continue to speak to all three Governments through our Embassies in those countries, and regularly engage the US and EU as observers to the AU-led process, including through the UK Special Envoy for the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. The Minister for Africa also raised the issue with the Ethiopian Ambassador on 24 February.

Claudia Uruchurtu

Baroness Clark of Kilwinning: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had withthe government of Mexico about (1) the whereabouts of Claudia Uruchurtu, and (2) thesteps it is taking to findher.

Baroness Sugg: We are concerned about the disappearance of Claudia Uruchurtu, a Mexican national who has been missing since 26 March. Our Ambassador has raised the disappearance with the Mexican authorities at both state and federal levels, and is continuing to do so in support of Claudia's British dual-national family. The Mexican authorities have committed to carrying out an investigation into Claudia's disappearance.We are aware that the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances has issued an urgent action request to the Mexican state to locate Claudia. As Claudia is a Mexican national, and is in Mexico, our authority and responsibility for engaging in this case is limited. However, our Embassy staff in Mexico City are in contact with Claudia's sisters, who are in Mexico helping with the search, and our Embassy team is helping the family access assistance from human rights groups in the area, and from the local UN human rights office.

Ministry of Defence

Afghanistan: Interpreters

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they keep a contact database of all locally employed civilian interpreters who have worked for UK Armed Forces in Afghanistan.

Baroness Goldie: Due to the time elapsed since employment, and the security vulnerabilities inherent in using contact details that are over a decade old in some cases, we do not and cannot maintain a contact database of all locally employed staff who have worked for UK Armed Forces in Afghanistan. Our locally employed civilian interpreters are able to contact us through our dedicated team the Afghanistan Threat and Risk Evaluation Unit (ATREU) with the contact details available on the gov.uk website.

Afghanistan: Home Country Nationals

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy will be administered solely by UK Embassy staff or whether any provision for its delivery will be contracted out to private companies.

Baroness Goldie: The Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy is an MOD owned policy which is jointly administered by the MOD, Home Office and FCDO. Initial contact will be with the expert in theatre team, with assistance from officials from the other Government departments named above at different stages of the process. The delivery of the scheme is supported in Kabul by the International Office Of Migration who facilitate some of the in-country activity. Currently HMG has no plans for private companies to support.

Nuclear Weapons

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their justification for increasing the number of nuclear warheads by 40 per cent.

Baroness Goldie: We remain committed to maintaining the minimum destructive power needed to guarantee that the UK's nuclear deterrent remains credible and effective against the full range of state nuclear threats. This judgement includes an assessment of the decision making processes of future potential aggressors, and an analysis of the defensive measures that they might employ. Therefore, in recognition of the developing range of technological and doctrinal threats the UK will increase the overall nuclear weapon stockpile ceiling from no more than 225 to no more than 260 warheads, an increase of 15 per cent.

Afghanistan: Interpreters

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect Afghan interpreters that have served British Forces following the planned withdrawal of Britishtroops from Afghanistan in September.

Baroness Goldie: The Government is strongly committed to fulfilling its responsibilities to current and former locally employed staff in Afghanistan. That is why we developed a new Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), which launched on 1 April 2021. It acknowledges and reflects the fact that the situation in Afghanistan has changed, and with it the potential risk to current and former Locally Employed Staff who worked for the UK Government over the past twenty years. Under the new scheme, any current or former Locally Employed Staff who are assessed to be under serious threat [to life] will be offered priority relocation to the UK regardless of their employment status, rank or role, or length of time served. And local staff who have worked in roles which could have exposed their identities and placed them at risk of reprisals will be relocated to the UK by default. We will continue to monitor events in Afghanistan closely to ensure the implementation of this policy reflects the changing security situation.

Alanbrooke Barracks: Housing

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many units of accommodation for service personnel at Alanbrooke Barracks are not en-suite.

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many units of accommodation for service personnel at Albemarle Barracks are not en-suite.

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many units of accommodation for service personnel at Tidworth Camp are not en-suite.

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many units of accommodation for service personnel at Arnhem Garrison are not en-suite.

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many units of accommodation for service personnel at Brompton Barracks are not en-suite.

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many units of accommodation for service personnel at Clive Barracks are not en-suite.

Baroness Goldie: The information requested can be found in the table below:  EstablishmentBedspaces without  en-suiteBedspaces with en-suiteAlanbrooke Barracks4010Albemarle Barracks35727Brompton Barracks568688Clive Barracks41223Tidworth Garrison5302887 Notes Arnhem Garrison is not a site recognised by Ministry of Defence. There was an Arnhem Barracks in Aldershot, however this was vacated in 2008. As a Phase 2 training establishment, Brompton Barracks includes a number of multi occupancy rooms which accommodate soldiers on short term training courses. Clive Barracks has been identified for disposal by 2025 under the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio. Tidworth Garrison includes Aliwal Barracks, Assaye Barracks, Bhurtpore Barracks, Candahar Barracks, Delhi Barracks, Jellalabad Barracks, Lucknow Barracks, Mooltan Barracks and Swinton Barracks.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Compensation

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of compensation payments to survivors of historical abuse living in Great Britain on any means-tested welfare payments to which they may be entitled; and what steps they are taking in response to any such assessment.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Kickstart Scheme

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the Kickstart Scheme.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Our focus is on delivering Kickstart jobs for young people as soon as we can. Eligible young people will be able to start new Kickstart jobs until December 2021, meaning the final cohort of six-month jobs will end in Summer 2022. There are currently no plans to extend the Kickstart Scheme.

Food Banks

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Trussell Trust End of Year Statistics, published this month,and in particular, its finding that the Trust distributed a record 2.5 miliion food parcelsin 2020/21; what estimate they have made of the total number of food parcels that were distributed duringthe 2020/21 financial year;and what steps they intendto take to reduce the number of households which are reliant on the provision of such parcels.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: No such assessment has been made. Foodbanks are independent charitable organisations and there are no official statistics relating to either the number of people using food banks or the number of food parcels distributed. This Government is committed to supporting those on low incomes, injecting an additional £7.4 billion to strengthen the welfare safety net in 2020/21. We also introduced the Covid Winter Grant, now the Covid Local Support Grant, together totalling £269 million, to enable Local Authorities to help the most vulnerable children and families with essential costs.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Gardens: Peat

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to ban the sale of horticultural garden peat; and if so, when.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are committed to phasing out the use of peat in horticulture in England. The biggest user of peat is the amateur sector, and this is an important part of our policy focus. We signalled to the industry that if we have not seen sufficient movement to peat alternatives by 2020, then we would look at further measures that could be taken. We are working towards publishing a formal consultation this year on further measures to end the use of peat in horticulture.

Litter: Tobacco

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish regulatory mechanisms for imposing extended producer responsibility on the tobacco industry; and how any such plans will ensure the industry takes financial responsibility for the costs associated with discarded cigarette butts.

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to set a timetable for establishing a regulatory mechanism for imposing extended producer responsibility on the tobacco industry.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: New research conducted by Eunomia for Defra and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) indicates that cleaning up littered cigarette butts currently costs litter authorities in the UK around £40 million per year, rising to £46 million when including those disposed of in public bins. We have recently announced our intention to explore regulatory options to ensure that the tobacco industry takes sufficient financial responsibility for the toxic litter created by its products. Supported by the Department of Health and Social Care, Defra is now actively exploring the suitability of regulatory options to reduce tobacco litter and we plan to conduct further research this year. This research will help inform next steps and we therefore cannot yet confirm a timescale. The Government will continue to work closely with stakeholders to address the issue. Government policy in this area must be developed in accordance with the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and its guidelines. The Environment Bill will allow us to legislate for extended producer responsibility schemes, which could include requiring cigarette producers to pay the full disposal costs of products or materials that they place on the market, including littered cigarette butts. Cigarette and tobacco product packaging will already be covered by the reforms to the packaging producer responsibility scheme, which are currently open for consultation.

Owls: Animal Welfare

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) number, (2) welfare, and (3) distribution, of barn owls in England.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The State of UK Birds report provides the latest population trends for all the UK’s bird species. The population estimate for barn owl in the most recent report was 4,000 – 14,000 breeding pairs in 2016. The BTO’s Nest Record Scheme shows the species is widely distributed across Great Britain. There has been no specific assessment about the welfare of England’s wild barn owl population.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Chilterns

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of HS2's application to the Environment Agency to tunnel the Mid Chilterns aquifer below the River Misbourne and Shardeloes Lake; and when a decision will be made on the application.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Environment Agency (EA) has been reviewing the application submitted by HS2 Ltd to tunnel the Mid Chilterns aquifer (including supporting risk assessments undertaken by HS2 Ltd) on a technical basis, using information and data to form judgements. As part of this review, the EA is ensuring that HS2 Ltd have identified and assessed any potential impacts on the environment, and will be making a decision on the application before 7 May 2021. If consent is issued, then it will contain appropriate conditions to protect against any impacts identified.

Cheese: Exports

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reverse the decline in cheese exports to the EU.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The deal that we achieved with the EU based on zero tariffs and zero quotas, provides cheese and other dairy producers with the certainty that they require to continue trading with the EU. The lower level of cheese exports to the EU for the start of 2021 compared with the same period in 2020, needs to take account of a unique combination of factors. These include the impact of reduced demand in the EU due to Covid-19 lockdowns and businesses adjusting to a new trading relationship. The decline has also been partly balanced by a significant increase of cheese exports to the EU towards the end of 2020 compared with previous years. Provisional HMRC 2021 data on cheese exports volumes in February also indicates a notable improvement on January. This is in line with the larger recovery from the initial disruptions to overall agri-food exports between January and February. We are providing a range of support to help businesses adjust to our new trading arrangements with the EU and to seize the fantastic opportunities to trade around the world. The majority of businesses are adapting well to the new requirements. Our focus is now on making sure that any business that is still facing challenges gets the support they need. The Government is also stepping up delivery of its manifesto commitment to build demand and promote British food both home and abroad. We are working with the sector to raise domestic and international awareness of the UK’s reputation for high-quality food and drink produced to high standards of food safety, animal welfare and sustainability. This will provide a catalyst for growth for all regions of the UK and increase global recognition of the UK as an innovative food nation.

Dogs: Smuggling

Baroness Redfern: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to raise the minimum age for puppies being imported to the UK to six months in order to deter the trade in underage puppies; and whether they will ban payments in cash for puppies imported to the UK.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The end of the transition period has opened up new opportunities for managing our own pet travel and commercial importation rules. We are actively listening to the concerns of stakeholders and the Government is considering options to strengthen our efforts to tackle puppy smuggling and prevent the low-welfare importation and movement of these animals, including looking at the minimum age of dogs entering Great Britain (GB). These options will take into consideration the results from our latest disease risk assessments for GB, recommendations of stakeholders such as the British Veterinary Association and Dogs Trust, and recent Parliamentary work from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.

Dangerous Dogs

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last reviewed the penalties for (1) owning, or (2) being in charge of, a dogthat is dangerously out of control; and what assessment they have made of the adequacy ofthe penalties for such crimes that are currently available to courts.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: It is an offence to allow any dog to be dangerously out of control under section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. The penalties for allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control were increased in 2014. In 2017, Defra reviewed the way the police and local authorities have used the powers available to them to tackle dog control and welfare issues. This resulted in further Defra guidance for these enforcement authorities emphasising their respective responsibilities and encouraging the use of good practice such as application of the LEAD initiative (Local Environmental Awareness on Dogs). Defra commissioned Middlesex University to examine measures to reduce dog attacks and promote responsible ownership. The report was submitted to Defra in March this year. The report is currently being peer reviewed and will be finalised in light of peer review comments. Our intention is to publish the final report later this year.

Dogs: Smuggling

Baroness Redfern: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to prevent heavily pregnant bitches from being transported to the UK illegally for the purpose of selling puppies to UK customers; and whether they will ban payments in cash for puppies bought in the UK.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The end of the transition period has opened up new opportunities for managing our own pet travel and commercial importation rules. We are actively listening to the concerns of stakeholders and the Government is considering options to strengthen our efforts to tackle puppy smuggling and prevent the low-welfare importation and movement of these animals, including looking at the movement of heavily pregnant dogs (bitches) entering Great Britain (GB). These options will take into consideration the results from our latest disease risk assessments for GB, recommendations of stakeholders such as the British Veterinary Association and Dogs Trust, and recent Parliamentary work from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.

Trees

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Woodland TrustState of the UK's Woods and Trees 2021, published on 14 April; and what steps they are taking to ensure that there is sufficient UK and Ireland Sourced and Grown treesto meet demand.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Government welcomes the State of the UK’s Woods and Trees 2021 report which is the first to present important facts and trends focusing predominantly on native woods and trees, and trees in towns and cities within the UK. We are working to increase tree production in our domestic nursery sector. This will build on current facilities and explore innovative ideas and technologies to improve production capacity. This is necessary to create a resilient, healthy, and genetically diverse planting stock, which is ready for our future climate. We have taken a number of steps to ensure domestically sourced and grown trees meet demand: Supporting activities to enhance production, processing and supply of UK tree seeds from a wider range of species and provenances.Transforming Forestry England seed processing and nursery facilities, at the same time providing capital grants to allow private nurseries to enhance productivity.Working with the industry to increase the uptake of the ‘Plant Healthy’ assurance scheme which helps improve biosecurity and reduce the risk of planting unhealthy stock. Over the last three years, 100 percent of trees planted by Forestry England are UK grown, meaning all trees supplied to Natural Resources Wales and Forestry and Land Scotland are UK grown.

Agriculture: Forests

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Woodland Trust State of the UK's Woods and Trees 2021, published on 14 April,what plansthey have to promote agroforestry, particularly the growing of fruit and nut crops; what assessment they have made of the impact of such promotion on (1) the level of food security, (2) the quality of diets, (3) fodder crops for animals, (4) the diversion to animals of food that could be eaten by humans, and (5) the use ofanthelmintics.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Agroforestry has a significant role in helping the Government commitment to increase tree planting across the UK to 30,000 hectares per year by 2025, in line with the annual rate recommended by the Committee on Climate Change in 2019 to help us meet net zero. We know our mechanisms for woodland creation must be more wide reaching and bold. This requires a transformative change for government and the sector. That is why the Nature for Climate Fund announced in the March 2020 Budget provides significant funding for tree planting, including agroforestry systems. The Committee on Climate Change has also recommended agroforestry on 10% of arable and grassland by 2050 to contribute to net zero emissions targets. We know that agroforestry systems can play an important role in addressing some of the key issues of climate and land use change in England, through the wide range of ecosystem services it provides.Providing food, fuel, fodder, timber, shadeRegulating soil, water, air quality and sequester carbonImproving animal health and welfareSupporting biodiversity and habitat creation

Pigeon Racing

Lord Craig of Radley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that pigeon racing between the UK and Europe to continue without restrictions and, in particular, avian quarantine periods; and what assessment they have made of the effects of Article 62 of the European Union's delegated regulation 2020/692 on UK racing pigeons.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: We have written to the European Commission on how the provision of Article 62 of Regulation 2020/692 may be invoked to obtain a derogation for racing pigeons, and we are actively seeking a response. We will update the industry as soon as possible.

Birds of Prey: Diclofenac

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effects of diclofenac on birds of prey in the UK; and whether they will follow Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and India in banning diclofenac.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: In December 2014, the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use published its scientific opinion on the risk to vultures and other necrophagous bird populations in the EU in connection with the use of veterinary medicines containing diclofenac, including risk mitigation measures.In March 2015, the UK and EU member states carried out an analysis of the measures in place nationally to mitigate the risk to vultures and other necrophagous bird populations in the UK and EU.The UK does not have any authorised veterinary medicines containing diclofenac. Nevertheless, diclofenac is included in the UK's residues surveillance programme to monitor whether there are residues of this active substance in animal products.The Veterinary Medicines Directorate, the regulator for veterinary medicines, takes the issue of diclofenac's risks to vultures seriously and is not currently approving any requests for the import or export of veterinary medicines containing diclofenac.The UK is Party to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) which provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats. As a Party, the UK contributes to the Preventing Poisoning Working Group which was established under CMS to facilitate actions and efforts to prevent poisoning of migratory birds including birds of prey.

Home Office

Extradition

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have been extradited fromthe UK in each year since 2018.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The following represents the number of people extradited from the UK under Part 2 of the Extradition Act 2003:YEARNUMBER2018162019262020212021 (APRIL)5TOTAL 68 All figures are from local management information and have not been quality assured to the level of published National Statistics. As such they should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change. The figures do not include Scotland, which deals with its own extradition cases.Extraditions from the UK under Part 1 of the Extradition Act 2003 are handled by the National Crime Agency and statistics are published on their website:https://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/what-we-do/how-we-work/providing-specialist-capabilities-for-law-enforcement/fugitives-and-international-crime/european-arrest-warrants

Migrant Workers: Domestic Service

The Lord Bishop of Bristol: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many bids were received from organisations to provide information sessions on employment rights for overseas domestic workers; whether any of the bids have been successful; and when they expect the sessions to begin.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Following extensive market engagement, a full commercial tender exercise was conducted, which attracted only two bids to provide the information and advice sessions for Overseas Domestic Workers. Neither bid was successful.All domestic workers are though provided with an information leaflet explaining their rights and how to access help should they need it. Further help and information is also available online at:http://www.gov.uk/domestic-workers-in-a-private-household-visa/your-employment-rights

Passports: British National (Overseas)

Lord Shinkwin: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British National (Overseas) passports were issued in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many people have used the new British National (Overseas) visa scheme to come to the UK since it was introduced in January.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Overseas Companies: Africa

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compliance by UK companies doing business in Africa with legislation and regulations in respect of combating forced labour.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Windrush Lessons Learned Review

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) are the Terms of Reference, and (2) is the intended completion date, for Wendy Williams' review of progress on recommendations made in the reportWindrush Lessons Learned Review: independent review by Wendy Williams, published on 31 March 2020.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Windrush Lessons Learned Review

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to update the progress they have made in evaluating the environment for immigrants following the Windrush Lessons Learned Review.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Sergei Skripal and Yulia Skripal

Lord Robathan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have classified the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal on 4 March 2018 as a terrorist attack.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Money Laundering: Russia

Lord Robathan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence they have identified of money obtained as the proceeds of crime in Russia being laundered in the UK.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Islam

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 21 April (HL14809), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, what assessment have they made of (1) any verses in the Koran which appear to support violence, and (2) the use of these verses by Islamist extremists to sanction violence.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We look at and assess all material that may be used by extremists to support or justify violence and will not tolerate those who spread divisive and harmful narratives. We remain of the view that the propaganda used by Islamist extremists is a distortion of true Islam.

Intelligence Services and Police: Crown Dependencies

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial arrangements, if any, they have agreed with the Crown Dependencies in recognition of the assistance that UK police and intelligence services provide to such Dependencies.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Lord Green of Deddington: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the 2.2 million EU citizens now granted pre-settled status will be able to switch to settled status in (1) 2021, and (2) each of the next five calendar years.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: A person granted pre-settled status can apply for settled status as soon as they qualify for this. They will be eligible for settled status once they have completed five years’ continuous residence or where other criteria for eligibility for settled status without that length of continuous residence are met.The Home Office cannot assess a person’s eligibility for settled status until they make an application to the scheme.

Crimes of Violence: Crime Prevention

Lord Farmer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the £23 million for early intervention programmes to prevent young people being drawn into violence, announced on 8 March, will be used to work with their parents.

Lord Farmer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the Youth Endowment Fund has been invested in working with parents of young people.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office will be investing up to £23 million in intervention programmes that evidence suggests will be effective in helping to stop young people from being drawn into violence.This will be delivered through Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in existing serious violence hotspot areas. Investment will be made in programmes working with young people who are at risk of engagement or currently involved in violence. We will shortly be opening a competition process for VRUs to apply for the programme funding. As such, we cannot provide details of interventions working with parents, until the successful bids are selected.The funding will also pilot the Creating Opportunities Forum, a new programme to support young people who may be at risk of serious violence to access employment opportunities. The rest of the funding is for a small number of grants including our Young People’s Advocates who work with young women and girls at risk of violence.The Government has also invested £200 million in early intervention and prevention support initiatives over 10 years to support children and young people at risk of exploitation and involvement in serious violence, through the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF).The YEF has 5 family focused projects from their launch grant round that work with parent and child. The nature of support includes but is not limited to therapy, resilience projects and protecting a child from abuse from the family. The total invested amount across all 5 projects is just over £5.7 million.The YEF will launch its second grant round of 2021 in September: “A Supportive Home”, which will focus on the role of home and families to prevent youth violence. The YEF will identify programmes that are ready for robust impact evaluation or should be supported to reach this point within two years and intends to invest up to £20 million depending on the quality of applications.

Ministers of Religion: Islam

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in pursuit of their anti-terrorism policies, what is their estimate of the number of Imams preaching in the UK; and what is the estimate of the proportion of Imams who cannot speak English.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: HMG has made no assessment of the number of Imams present in the UK as part of the Government’s Counter-Terrorism Strategy CONTEST, nor of their language skills. As outlined in our previous response. The Immigration Rules governing T2 Minister of Religion roles require applicants to demonstrate a strong command of the English language in order to qualify for a visa.

Religious Practice: Islam

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in pursuit of their anti-terrorism policies, what assessment they have made, if any, of any Islamist teaching in mosques in the UK.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We look at and assess all evidence of those that radicalise others though their support or justification of violence and will not tolerate those who spread divisive and harmful narratives. We remain of the view that the propaganda used by Islamist extremists is a distortion of true Islam.

Asylum: Napier Barracks

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they madeof the advice fromPublic Health England about the use of dormitory accommodation at Napier Barracks and its suitability for use during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Napier is providing safe, coronavirus (COVID-19)-compliant conditions, in line with the law and Public Health England (PHE) guidance on social distancing requirements, including recommendations when using dormitories. The accommodation has been adapted to ensure social distancing can be maintained and occupancy in dormitories is limited to ensure a minimum distance between beds of at least two metres.This is complemented by a range of additional safety measures including increased cleaning, availability of personal cleaning products and hand sanitisers, twice weekly lateral flow tests for all residents, staff and visitors and a track and trace system. Our service providers have robust plans in place to minimise the risk of an outbreak of COVID-19 and an action plan should a COVID-19 outbreak occur.We have established links to the appropriate leads from the local authority, PHE and statutory bodies and are committed to working with them to support the people who we accommodate and the communities where they live. Regular Multi-Agency Forums are held to ensure concerns are understood, so issues are managed and resolved accordingly.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Devolution

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions ministers have had about establishing an English devolution taskforce, jointly led by Downing Street and local government.

Lord Greenhalgh: The government regularly engages with a wide range of stakeholders in the local government sector and external experts as part of ongoing work to support local economic growth and devolution as we recover from Covid-19.

Devolution

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations in the report by the Devolution All-Party Parliamentary Group Levelling-up Devo: the role of national government in making a success of devolution in England, published on 9 March.

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation in the report by the Devolution All-Party Parliamentary Group Levelling-up Devo: the role of national government in making a success of devolution in England, published on 9 March, calling for a National Devolution Baseline for England.

Lord Greenhalgh: We welcome this report and demonstrate our clear commitment to devolution through our ambitious programme of 9 devolution deals which include £7.49 billion worth of investment over 30-years. 37% of residents in England are now served by directly elected city region mayors - including almost 50% in the North (growing to 41% of England and 62% of the North following this Spring’s mayoral election in the West Yorkshire Combined Authority). We will set out our plans for further devolution in a white paper in due course.

Devolution

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation in the report by the Devolution All-Party Parliamentary Group Levelling-up Devo: the role of national government in making a success of devolution in England, published on 9 March, to "move away from a pattern of piecemeal, fragmented and short-term interventions” and “towards a localist settlement that gives councils the powers and resources to drive green and inclusive growth that meets the needs of their communities".

Lord Greenhalgh: We welcome this report and demonstrate our clear commitment to devolution through our ambitious programme of 9 devolution deals which include £7.49 billion worth of investment over 30-years. 37% of residents in England are now served by directly elected city region mayors - including almost 50% in the North (growing to 41% of England and 62% of the North following this Spring’s mayoral election in the West Yorkshire Combined Authority). Any recommendations relating to new government investment would be a matter for the Spending Review.

Rents: Arrears

Lord Carrington: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many individual tenants, rather than households, are represented by the finding in the Household Resilience Study: Wave 2, published on 21 April, that nine per cent of private renters were in arrears in November–December 2020.

Lord Carrington: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many individual tenants, rather than households, are represented by the finding in the Household Resilience Study: Wave 2, published on 21 April, that eight per cent of private renters said they were very or fairly likely to fall behind with rent payments over the next three months.

Lord Carrington: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many individual tenants, rather than households, are represented by the finding in the Household Resilience Study: Wave 2, published on 21 April, that 22 per cent of private renters reported finding it more difficult to keep up with rent payments since June–July 2020.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Household Resilience Study collects data by household, rather than by individual. In November-December 2020, 610,000 households reported that they were finding it more difficult to keep up with their rent payments since June-July 2020. 353,000 households reported that they were in rent arrears and 278,000 households reported that they were not currently in arrears but were very or fairly likely to fall behind with rent payments over the next three months.Further information about the Household Resilience Study is available (attached) at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/household-resilience-study-wave-2.   Household resilience study (pdf, 523.5KB)

Cabinet Office

Public Sector: Standards

Lord Mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the factors that aredelaying the integration of public services, and (2) the cost to the taxpayer of such delays.

Lord True: The new Central Digital and Data Office is currently working with government departments to assess digital, data and technology capability. In recent years, there have been significant changes to the way organisations provide services and to user expectations. It’s now commonplace for services to be:personalised and proactive;low-friction;available on any device and multiple channels, like voice assistant. Economic benefits have been measured through case study examples of integrated public services. Analysis of these found the monetizable benefits in avoiding users repeating tasks ranged from £50k to £850k per service, depending on its purpose. Delivering integrated services is key to the government’s approach to digital transformation. The government is committed to increasing the cost-efficiency and quality of online public services. The UK participates annually in the EU National Interoperability Framework Observatory. This provides regular monitoring of the state of play of interoperability and digital public services in Europe, enabling contributor countries to share best practices and measure their performance.

Cybercrime: Public Appointments

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government who are the members of the ministerial group tasked with cohering cyber decision-making across Government, as set out in The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, published in March 2021.

Lord True: The Ministerial Cyber Steering Group is chaired by the First Secretary of State. Other members are the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (currently delegated to the Paymaster General), the Home Secretary, the Defence Secretary and the Culture Secretary. Other ministers are invited to attend depending on the topics being discussed and senior officials from intelligence and law enforcement also attend. The meeting is supported by the National Security Unit in the Cabinet Office.

Cricket: Coronavirus

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government for what reasons COVID-19 regulations permit people to socialise outside pubs but prevent them from attending four-day county cricket matches.

Lord True: On 22 February, the Government published the ‘COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021’, providing a roadmap out of lockdown restrictions in England. The Government's priority is to ensure a safe and gradual easing of restrictions, restoring freedoms sustainably, equitably and as quickly as possible without putting unsustainable pressure on the NHS and avoiding a further lockdown. From 12 April, Step 2 of the roadmap, people have been permitted to gather outdoors in groups of up to six, or in larger groups - providing they consist of no more than two households. Outdoor hospitality service is also permitted to reopen at Step 2. Attendees must adhere to the social contact limits whilst at the venue as well as in the surrounding area, this means that crowds are not permitted to form at these venues. Venues must take reasonable steps to ensure that customers are seated whilst eating and drinking at their venue, including in any areas adjacent to their venue that are typically used to eat or drink from. This helps to maintain a controlled environment where social distancing can be maintained.As regards to sporting events, spectators are not permitted at sporting events or live performances until Step 3, where we will begin to admit crowds again under strict capacity cap rules. However, this does not prevent people from viewing recreational or organised sport that is taking place in a public space (e.g. parks) in groups of up to 6 people or 2 households. We have chosen to take a gradual approach to relaxing restrictions to reduce the risk of an increase in infections that might delay progress through the roadmap. Our approach also reflects the additional risks which can be associated with large spectator events, for example, if large numbers of people use public transport to travel to and from the venue, if crowd behaviours lead to increased risk, or if the event leads to gatherings in shared facilities either at the venue or nearby. The Events Research Programme (ERP) is running its first phase of 10-15 pilots in April and May to inform decisions around the safe removal of social distancing at large events in Step 4 of the Roadmap. The pilots will be run across a range of settings, venues, and activities to gather evidence on the transmission risks associated with different settings, and how these can be mitigated.

Crown Representatives

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the collapse of Greensill Capital, what assessment they have made of the Crown Representative programme.

Lord True: Crown Representatives act as independent advisors to support the Government’s relationships with strategic suppliers. They help the Government to act as a single customer and work across departments to: ensure a single and strategic view of the government’s needs is communicated to the marketidentify areas for cost savingsact as a point of focus for cross-cutting supplier-related issues. Crown Representatives cover all sectors of service provision including small and medium enterprises, voluntary sector organisations, mutually owned organisations, large suppliers and specific sectors. All Crown Representatives complete Conflict of Interest declarations every six months.

Public Sector: Standards

Lord Mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the public sector in England has the necessary (1) skills, (2) knowledge, and (3) institutional memory, to develop more integrated public services; what evidence has informed any such assessment; and what training is planned for (a) civil servants, and (b) other public sector officials, on this subject.

Lord True: The new Central Digital and Data Office is currently working with government departments to assess digital, data and technology capability. In recent years, there have been significant changes to the way organisations provide services and to user expectations. It’s now commonplace for services to be:personalised and proactive;low-friction;available on any device and multiple channels, like voice assistant. Economic benefits have been measured through case study examples of integrated public services. Analysis of these found the monetizable benefits in avoiding users repeating tasks ranged from £50k to £850k per service, depending on its purpose. Delivering integrated services is key to the government’s approach to digital transformation. The government is committed to increasing the cost-efficiency and quality of online public services. The UK participates annually in the EU National Interoperability Framework Observatory. This provides regular monitoring of the state of play of interoperability and digital public services in Europe, enabling contributor countries to share best practices and measure their performance.

Independent Adviser On Ministers' Interests: Public Appointments

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whenthey intend to appoint a new Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests; and why that post has remained vacantsince the resignation of Sir Alex Allan in November 2020.

Lord True: The Prime Minister yesterday announced the appointment of Rt Hon Lord Geidt to serve as the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests. Lord Geidt is a Crossbench Member of the House of Lords, a Privy Councillor and a former Private Secretary to The Queen. He brings a distinguished record of impartial public service and experience of Government to bear on the appointment. The Prime Minister has agreed Terms of Reference for the role with Lord Geidt. These have been published on Gov.uk and will be deposited in the House libraries. As part of these new Terms of Reference, and taking into account the recommendations of the Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, the Independent Adviser will now have the authority to advise on the initiation of investigations.

Public Sector: Standards

Lord Mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the UK's performance in delivery of the integration of public services; and of how this performance compares to that of EU member states.

Lord True: The new Central Digital and Data Office is currently working with government departments to assess digital, data and technology capability. In recent years, there have been significant changes to the way organisations provide services and to user expectations. It’s now commonplace for services to be:personalised and proactive;low-friction;available on any device and multiple channels, like voice assistant. Economic benefits have been measured through case study examples of integrated public services. Analysis of these found the monetizable benefits in avoiding users repeating tasks ranged from £50k to £850k per service, depending on its purpose. Delivering integrated services is key to the government’s approach to digital transformation. The government is committed to increasing the cost-efficiency and quality of online public services. The UK participates annually in the EU National Interoperability Framework Observatory. This provides regular monitoring of the state of play of interoperability and digital public services in Europe, enabling contributor countries to share best practices and measure their performance.

Public Sector

Lord Mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential cost savings of integrated public services.

Lord True: The new Central Digital and Data Office is currently working with government departments to assess digital, data and technology capability. In recent years, there have been significant changes to the way organisations provide services and to user expectations. It’s now commonplace for services to be:personalised and proactive;low-friction;available on any device and multiple channels, like voice assistant. Economic benefits have been measured through case study examples of integrated public services. Analysis of these found the monetizable benefits in avoiding users repeating tasks ranged from £50k to £850k per service, depending on its purpose. Delivering integrated services is key to the government’s approach to digital transformation. The government is committed to increasing the cost-efficiency and quality of online public services. The UK participates annually in the EU National Interoperability Framework Observatory. This provides regular monitoring of the state of play of interoperability and digital public services in Europe, enabling contributor countries to share best practices and measure their performance.

Public Sector

Lord Mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether there is increasing demand from the public for more integrated public services.

Lord True: The new Central Digital and Data Office is currently working with government departments to assess digital, data and technology capability. In recent years, there have been significant changes to the way organisations provide services and to user expectations. It’s now commonplace for services to be:personalised and proactive;low-friction;available on any device and multiple channels, like voice assistant. Economic benefits have been measured through case study examples of integrated public services. Analysis of these found the monetizable benefits in avoiding users repeating tasks ranged from £50k to £850k per service, depending on its purpose. Delivering integrated services is key to the government’s approach to digital transformation. The government is committed to increasing the cost-efficiency and quality of online public services. The UK participates annually in the EU National Interoperability Framework Observatory. This provides regular monitoring of the state of play of interoperability and digital public services in Europe, enabling contributor countries to share best practices and measure their performance.

Government Departments: Social Media

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money is spent by each (1) Government department, and (2) regulatory body, on advertising with (a) Google, (b) Facebook, (c) Twitter, and (d) other social media platforms.

Lord True: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Dissolution. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Elections: Homelessness

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that people who are classified as homeless are able to vote in the elections in England in May; and, in particular, what steps they are taking to ensure that homeless people in temporary accommodation are able to vote.

Lord True: The registration deadline for the elections on 6 May has now passed (19 April), so if anyone has not already registered, it is now too late to register for those polls. Applications to register to vote can be made by making a declaration of local connection to an address where they would otherwise be living if it were not for their current situation, an address where they have lived in the past, or by providing details of where they spend a substantial part of their time. This also applies to any person who does not have a fixed or permanent address. The electoral registration form for someone with no fixed or permanent address is available from the Electoral Services team at the relevant local authority, or on GOV.UK. Those living in temporary accommodation can register at that address.

COVID-status Certification Review

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will announce the recommendations of the COVID-Status Certification Review.

Lord True: As set out in the ‘COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021,’ the Government will set out its conclusions on the COVID-status Certification Review in advance of Step 4 of the Roadmap, in order to inform the safe reopening of society and the economy. An update on the Roadmap Reviews was published on 5 March and can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021-reviews-terms-of-reference/roadmap-reviews-update. We will present interim findings from the COVID-status Certification Review to Parliament today.

Greensill

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) Bill Crothers, or (2) his consultancy company, were employed by the Government on (a) project work, or (b) any other work, after Mr Crothers ceased to be a civil servant.

Lord True: Cabinet Office does not have records of Bill Crothers working on project work or any other work during the specified time. With regard to his consultancy company, details of Government contracts above £10,000 should be published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.I also refer the noble peer to the letters on the ACOBA website relating to business appointments and Mr Crothers.

Afiniti

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any records of the Rt Hon David Cameron (1) contacting, or (2) arranging meetings with, (a) ministers, or (b) senior civil servants, over the last three years, in connection with Afiniti Limited.

Lord True: Ministers and permanent secretaries’ meetings on official government business with external organisations are published on a quarterly basis and are made available on GOV.UK.

David Cameron

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the summary report published by the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists on 26 March following its investigation into Rt Hon David Cameron, whether the Registrar had sight of any contract of employment between Mr Cameron and Greensill companies; and whether (1) any such contracts, or (2) related job descriptions, made any reference to lobbying duties.

Lord True: The Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists is a statutory independent office holder responsible for maintaining the lobbying register. The Registrar's investigations and decisions must be made independently of the Government.Details of the Registrar’s investigations are published on the website of the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists at https://registrarofconsultantlobbyists.org.uk/, and his Office can be contacted at enquiries@orcl.gov.uk.

Ministers: ICT

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to reform the Ministerial Code to take greater account of ministerial communication by (1) text, (2) Signal, (3) WhatsApp, and (4) other encrypted messaging services.

Lord True: Ministers’ formal meetings with external organisations are published quarterly on gov.uk. Ministers will have informal conversations from time to time, in person or remotely, and significant content relating to government business from such discussions is passed back to officials. Ministers will use a range of digital forms of communication for discussions in line with relevant guidance on information handling and security. The Cabinet Office has previously published guidance on how information is held for the purposes of access to information, and how formal decisions are recorded for the official record. Ministers are also given advice on the security of electronic communications.

Ministers: Members' Interests

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the register of Ministerial interests up to the end of 2020; and the registers of Ministerial interests for 2021.

Lord True: The Prime Minister has today announced the appointment of Rt Hon Lord Geidt to serve as the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests. The Independent Adviser oversees the production of a List of Ministers' Interests, and the next publication will occur once Lord Geidt has concluded that process.

Lex Greensill

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what functions Lex Greensill performed as a Crown Representative; how long he held that position; which person or office he reported to; and who was responsible for his appointment to that position.

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether records held in (1) 10 Downing Street and, (2) the Cabinet Office, record or refer to any conversation since 1 January between David Cameron and ministers or senior civil servants relating to (a) Mr Lex Greensill, (b) Greensill Capital, or (c) Mr Sanjeev Gupta and his businesses; and if so, whether they will place copies of these records in the Library of the House.

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government who nominated Mr Lex Greensill as a Crown Representative in March 2014; whether Mr Greensill continues to hold this status; and if not, (1) when did he cease to be a Crown Representative, and (2) why.

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Mr Lex Greensill had an entry pass (1) to Number 10 Downing Street, or (2) to the Cabinet Office; and if so, who made the request for the pass.

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government who was responsible for the appointment of Lex Greensillas a Crown Representative in March 2014, including him being issued a Cabinet Office entry pass; whether Bill Crother's appointment to the UK Board of Greensill Capital was (1) reviewed, and (2) approved, by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments; and, if so, when.

Lord True: The Prime Minister has asked Mr Boardman to conduct a review that will look into the decisions taken around the development and use of supply chain finance (and associated schemes) in government, especially the role of Lex Greensill and Greensill Capital. The full terms of reference are set out at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/review-into-the-development-and-use-of-supply-chain-finance-in-government-terms-of-reference.The review will report to the Prime Minister by 30 June 2021. The Government will publish and present to Parliament the Review’s findings and the Government’s response in due course thereafter.Correspondence between the Cabinet Office and the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/crothers-bill-government-chief-commercial-officer-cabinet-office-acoba-recommendation.

National Cyber Security Centre

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofhow many operators of Critical National Infrastructure have used the National Cyber Security Centre’s new 'Knowledge Base' tool to map the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure and its interdependencies.

Lord True: Personnel with a responsibility for Critical National Infrastructure sectors from Lead Government Departments and agencies have been engaging closely with the National Cyber Security Centre to develop the Knowledge Base tool and provide validation of the content.This work will enable government to better understand risks to CNI and prioritise efforts more effectively. The majority of departments responsible for CNI sectors have already been able to benefit from the Knowledge Base’s analytical capabilities through the support provided by NCSC. Lead Government Departments have primary responsibility for the designation and governance of Critical National Infrastructure in their respective sectors, and will have access to the Knowledge Base tool, along with other relevant parts of HM Government. Due to the sensitivity of the amalgamated information stored within the tool, operators and companies will not have direct access. It is not possible to not share further details around usage of the tool due to security considerations.

Overseas Trade: Kashmir

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what five African countries have the largest total value of trade with the UK.

Lord True: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond. Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician  The Baroness Kennedy of CradleyHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW 26 April 2021  Dear Lady Kennedy, As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what five African countries have the largest total value of trade with the UK (HL15101). The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes monthly ‘All countries statistics’[1]. Services data for 2021 Q1 are not currently available at a geographical level but will be published in August 2021. Tables 1 and 2 provide details of UK Trade in Goods imports and exports for the top five African countries. Please note that data are in current prices and, as such, include the effect of inflation.  Yours sincerely, Professor Sir Ian Diamond  Table 1: Trade in Goods imports, top five African countries, seasonally adjusted, £ million Imports February 2021South Africa714Morocco93Egypt92Kenya37Ivory Coast35Source: ONS Table 2: Trade in Goods exports, top five African countries, seasonally adjusted, £ million Exports February 2021Egypt156South Africa122Nigeria81Ghana40Morocco39Source: ONS [1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/datasets/uktradeallcountriesseasonallyadjusted

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Northern lreland's place in the United Kingdom since the introduction of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

Lord Frost: Northern Ireland’s integral place in the United Kingdom has, and will, remain unaffected as a result of the UK leaving the EU. The Protocol itself is clear that Northern Ireland remains an integral part of the UK’s internal market and customs territory, and guarantees unfettered access for NI businesses to the rest of the UK.

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the European Union's conduct in recent discussions relating totrade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Lord Frost: The EU’s attempt to activate Article 16 of the Protocol in late January created a new situation, with regard to the application of the Protocol. Nevertheless, there have been constructive discussions between us and the EU. These discussions have begun to clarify outstanding issues and have established some positive momentum. Nonetheless, a number of difficult issues remain. As set out following my meeting with Vice President Šefčovič on 15 April, contacts will be intensified at all levels through the structures provided by the Withdrawal Agreement.

Treasury

Accountancy and Taxation: Professional Organisations

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation made by the Association of Accounting Technicians in its response, published on 6 August 2020, to the HM Revenue and Customs call for evidence on raising standards in the tax advice market, that anyone offering paid-for tax and accountancy services should be required by law to be a member of a relevant professional body.

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of their recent proposals to require unregulated tax advisers and accountants to hold professional indemnity insurance on the insurance premiums for those who already hold such insurance by virtue of their membership of a relevant professional body.

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the desirability of requiring those who provide tax and accountancy services in the UK (1) to be appropriately qualified, (2) to undertake Continuing Professional Development, (3) to be subject to robust complaints and disciplinary processes, and (4) to be regulated by an Office for Professional Body Anti-Money Laundering Supervision-supervised professional body in relation to Anti-Money laundering activity; and whether they have any plans to implement any such requirements.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government published a call for evidence on raising standards in the tax advice market in March 2020. This explored a range of options to raise standards, including requiring all tax advisers to belong to a professional body. Responses to the call for evidence, including the response from the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), were carefully considered. A summary of responses and the Government’s proposed next steps were published in November 2020. Many respondents to the call for evidence suggested requiring tax advisers to hold professional indemnity insurance (PII) could provide a baseline level of taxpayer protection. The Government is now consulting on the merits of requiring tax advisers to hold PII, including assessing the impacts of this requirement. The consultation closes on 15 June 2021. Any decisions resulting from the consultation will be announced at a future fiscal event.

Small Businesses: Coronavirus

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support small businesses who have encountered payroll processing issues as a result of changes to COVID-19 support programmes.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: HMRC recognise that some employers will have complex and varied payroll runs, perhaps needing to claim for some staff who are paid weekly and some who are paid monthly.Employers are required to take reasonable care to make an accurate claim within the deadline (which extends to 14 days after the month for which claims are being made) and should make their claims on time with the most accurate information available on the circumstances of their employees. HMRC expect employers to take all reasonable steps to amend their processes to be able to claim on time.Employers can claim before, during or after they process their payroll as long as the claim is submitted by the relevant claim deadline.  Claims cannot be submitted more than 14 days before the claim period end date.Employers can submit an initial claim and amend it later provided the initial claim is made on time and any amendments are made within 28 days after the end of the month. If the 28th day in a particular month falls on a non-working day, the deadline will be the next working day.However, if they are still unable to meet the deadline, they should contact HMRC as soon as they are ready to claim, and HMRC may consider their reasonable excuse for missing the deadline. HMRC have published examples of reasonable excuses but in principle these are circumstances that stopped someone from fulfilling an obligation that they took reasonable care to meet.Employers will not be able to submit a claim after the 14-day deadline has passed unless they have a reasonable excuse, taken reasonable care to try to claim on time and claimed without delay as soon as they were able to. Further information can be found at the COVID-19 coronavirus job retention scheme pages on GOV.UK.Employers can also sign up to receive regular email updates from HMRC on their COVID-19 schemes, and thousands of people have joined live HMRC webinars which offer more support on changes to the CJRS and how they affect employers.

LIBOR: SONIA

Baroness Noakes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the letter dated 21 April from the Chairman of the Working Group on Sterling Risk-Free Reference Rates to the Economic Secretary to the Treasury in respect of safe harbour provisions to support the wind-down of LIBOR and the transition to SONIA.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government will respond to the letter from the Chair of the Working Group on Sterling Risk-Free Reference Rates in due course. The Government has committed to updating the House as appropriate on the outcome of the February consultation on supporting the wind-down of critical benchmarks.

Personal Pensions

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) value, and (2) service, provided by UK pension providers to holders of UK Self-Invested Personal Pensions.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: This is an operational matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), who are operationally independent from Government. The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to the Noble Lord by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Credit: Regulation

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that future regulation of ‘buy now, pay later’ products sufficiently protects consumers.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government will legislate in a proportionate way to counter the detriment that customers could face as use of Buy Now Pay Later products grows. The Government is engaging stakeholders and will publicly consult to gather views as it develops its approach.

Greensill

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, as a creditor of Greensill Capital and Greensill Bank, they will ask the administrators of those companies and related parties (1) to examine the personal expense claims made by (a) directors, (b) executives, and (c) advisors, for non-business related payments, including use of private jets, and (2) to ensure that the companies reported such non-cash benefits to the relevant income tax bodies, including HMRC.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government provides a guarantee, rather than direct funding, to lenders who are participating in the Bounce Back Loan, CBIL or CLBIL Schemes. Lenders participating in the Schemes must source their own funding, as they do for standard business lending. Greensill Bank is a German bank, and so is regulated by the German supervisory authority, BaFin. The administrator of Greensill Capital must send the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, a report on the conduct of all directors who were in office in the last 3 years of the company’s trading.

Interest Rates

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government which department or agency is responsible for managing the sensitivity of (1) public accounts, and (2) expenditure, to interest rate movements.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: As the government’s economic and finance ministry, HM Treasury is responsible for maintaining control over public spending, including debt interest expenditure. The Office for Budget Responsibility publish estimates of the sensitivity of debt interest spending to changes in interest rates in their Economic and Fiscal Outlook. We have strong independent economic institutions and a well-established macroeconomic framework that ensures we are well placed to deal with risks to our public finances.

Business: Coronavirus

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to ensure the equitable distribution of schemes designed to support businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government has provided £25 billion in cash grants for businesses. The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy has been working closely with local authorities to ensure that these grants are delivered as swiftly as possible and directed towards the businesses that have been most impacted by the pandemic. This includes the £5 billion of funding allocated at the March Budget for Restart Grants and the discretionary Additional Restrictions Grant fund.Local authorities received their allocation for the new Restart Grants on 6th April, and we encourage local authorities to pay eligible businesses as soon as possible. To access the Additional Restrictions Grant top-up, local authorities will have to spend their existing allocation by the end of June. Those which have already done so will receive their top-up payment in the coming weeks.

Government Assistance: Coronavirus

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide support to those who have been ineligible forCOVID-19 related financialsupport packages duringthe COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: Throughout the pandemic, the government has sought to protect people’s jobs and livelihoods while also supporting businesses and public services across the UK. To do this, the government has put in place an economic package of support which will provide businesses and individuals with certainty over the coming months, even as measures to prevent further spread of the virus change. The cumulative cost to the Government of this support since the start of the pandemic is £352 billion. This support includes a new Restart Grant of up to £18,000 to over 680,000 business premises, giving them the cash certainty they need to plan ahead and safely relaunch trading over the coming months. Local authorities will also receive an additional £425 million of discretionary business grant funding under the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), on top of the £1.6 billion already allocated to allow them to support their local businesses. This means local authorities will have received over £2.1 billion of discretionary grant funding to support businesses which are not eligible for Restart Grants, but which are nonetheless experiencing a severe impact on their business due to public health restrictions. In order to support businesses to retain their employees and protect the UK economy, the Chancellor has extended both the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) until September 2021. In Northern Ireland, the CJRS has supported more than 280,000 jobs since the scheme’s inception, and as of 31 January, the SEISS provided £570 million of support to self-employed individuals in Northern Ireland. The fourth and fifth SEISS grants are an estimated £13.5 billion of additional support, taking total support for the self-employed to over £33 billion. The Government has also announced a major improvement in access to the self-employed scheme. As the deadline for 2019-20 tax returns has now passed, HMRC will use these tax returns for the fourth and fifth grants, provided they were submitted by 2 March. This means more than 600,000 people, many of whom became self-employed in 2019-20, may now be able to claim the fourth and fifth grants, bringing the total number of people who could be eligible to 3.7 million. Businesses have also received billions in loans, tax deferrals, Business Rate reliefs, and general and sector-specific grants. And individuals and families have benefited from increased welfare payments, enhanced statutory sick pay, a stay on repossession proceedings and mortgage holidays. But we must recognise that it will not be possible to preserve every job or business indefinitely, nor stand in the way of the economy adapting and people finding new jobs or starting new businesses. As measures to control the virus change, it is right that government support should also evolve. Because of this, we continue to take a flexible approach and keep all impacts and policies under review.

Mortgages: Self-employed

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that self-employed workers are not excluded from the 95 per cent mortgage scheme announced on 19 April.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The new mortgage guarantee scheme is designed to increase the availability of 95% Loan to Value lending products. Participating lenders must offer all of their 95% mortgages, for both first time buyers and home movers, through the scheme. These would include any products that they offered at 95% for the self-employed. The pricing and availability of mortgage loans, including the assessment of mortgage applications, remains a commercial decision for lenders and the Government does not seek to intervene.

Self-employed: Coronavirus

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the self-employedduring the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government announced at Budget 2021 that the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will continue until September, with a fourth and a final fifth grant. This provides certainty to business as the economy reopens and means the SEISS will continue to be one of the most generous schemes for the self-employed in the world, and one of the few where support is committed until September. The fourth and fifth SEISS grants are an estimated £13.5bn of additional support, taking total support for the self-employed to over £33 billion since the start of the pandemic. Self-employed people may also have access to other elements of support available, including Restart Grants, the Recovery Loan scheme, business rates relief, and other business support schemes.

UK Trade with EU: Customs

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they havemade of the impact on small businesses of the requirement to complete customs paperwork for export to the EU.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government has put in place a number of measures to facilitate trade with the EU, including publishing comprehensive guidance on the new arrangements. HMRC continue to work closely with industry to ensure they are engaging with the new requirements for trade with the EU and can take the necessary steps to prepare, including through step by step guides, public information campaigns, cross-Government industry steering groups, webinars and events. The Government has also provided a £20 million Brexit Support Fund to support small and medium sized businesses who are new to importing and exporting processes in adjusting to new customs procedures, rules of origin, and VAT rules when trading with the EU. In addition, small and medium sized businesses can use the grant to seek professional advice and/or training in these areas.

Payment Services Regulations 2017

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will begin the review process of the Payment Services Regulations 2017, in accordance with section 158 of those regulations.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: As noted in Regulation 158 of the Payments Services Regulations 2017, HM Treasury must from time to time carry out a review of the regulatory provision contained in these Regulations and publish the report setting out the conclusions of the review. The first report under this regulation must be published on or before 13 January 2023. HM Treasury will conduct this review in accordance with Regulation 158.

Electronic Funds Transfer: Fraud

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to legislate to enable the Payment Services Regulator to mandate protection against authorised push payment fraud; and what plans they have to introduce new Faster Payments Services rules.

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Financial Conduct Authority has (1) prepared, or (2) submitted to the Treasuy, any reports on (a) the supervision of the implementation of the Contingent Reimbursement Model Code by its signatories to date, and (b) how the Code is operating.

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken, with the Financial Conduct Authority, to enforce the implementation of the Contingent Reimbursement Model Code by the Code's signatories.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: The Government is committed to tackling fraud and ensuring that victims of Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams are protected. The Government recognises the work industry has undertaken to date, including the introduction of a voluntary reimbursement Code, which has demonstrably had a beneficial impact. However, the Code, whilst improving matters, comes with limitations, including disparity in how different payment service providers are interpreting their obligations under it, as well is its lack of comprehensive cover across providers. The Government therefore welcomed the publication of the Payment Systems Regulator’s (PSR) call for views on APP scams in February 2021, which set out various potential measures for reducing APP scams and improving customer outcomes. The Government is of the view that the introduction of Faster Payments Service rules setting reimbursement requirements on all scheme participants is the best possible solution to the issue of APP scams; this will ensure the rules underpinning Faster Payments are fit for purpose. The PSR’s call for views has now closed and the Government is engaging with the PSR on next steps, including considering what further actions may be necessary to make progress on this issue. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) works closely with the Government and PSR through a range of channels to help combat APP scams. In January 2019, the FCA changed its rules to provide victims of alleged APP scams with prompt and fair complaints resolution, and access to dispute resolution through the Financial Ombudsman Service for complaints against payment service providers which receive payments relating to the alleged scam. In February 2021, the FCA also updated its formal guidance for firms on the fair treatment of vulnerable customers to reinforce the significance of the Code’s provisions on how firms should take into account vulnerability in cases of APP scams.

Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) (High Risk Countries) Regulations 2021

Lord Robathan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are reviewing the decision not to include Russia in Schedule 3ZA of High-Risk Third Countries in the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) (High Risk Countries) Regulations 2021; and if not, why not.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Archegos Capital Management

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial impact of the collapse of Archegos Capital Management upon entities (1) regulated, and (2) authorised, by the (a) Financial Conduct Authority, and (b) Prudential Regulation Authority.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Greensill: Administration

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial impact of the administration of (1) Greensill Capital (UK) Limited, and (2) Greensill Capital Management Company (UK) Limited, upon entities regulated and authorised by the (a) Financial Conduct Authority, and (b) Prudential Regulation Authority.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. The Minister will write directly to the Member with a response shortly.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Football

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Prime Minister met representatives of any of the football clubs that proposed to establish the European Super League in the last month; and if so, whether the proposal was discussed.

Baroness Barran: I refer the Noble Lord to the Prime Minister’s answer to Written Question 187255 answered on 29th April, and to his answer to the Hon Member for Luton South (Rachel Hopkins) at Prime Minister’s Questions on 28 April (column 376).

Events Industry: Insurance

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce a cancellation insurance scheme for the live events sector.

Baroness Barran: I refer the Noble Lord to my answer to the Oral Question on Tuesday 27th April 2021 on this issue. A copy of the Hansard record can be found here.

Emergency Services: Monuments

Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to support a national memorial to recognise the work of the emergency services.

Baroness Barran: It is not normal practice for central government to fund new memorials.Many organisations – public and private – are able (subject to the relevant permissions) to propose, fund, develop and deliver memorials marking a variety of incidents and historical moments in a way that they are best-placed to deem appropriate and sensitive.Many successful memorials are created by a wide-range of authorities and organisations and this allows each memorial to respond sensitively to the particular circumstances that it seeks to commemorate.

Social Enterprises

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to (1) support the development of social enterprises, and (2) integrate social enterprises into plans to make the UK carbon neutral by 2050.

Baroness Barran: The Government is committed to developing the innovative and impactful work of social enterprises across the UK. For example:Through the pandemic, the Government provided an unprecedented package of support, including furlough payments, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Bounce Back Loans, and direct funding through the £750 million charities and social enterprise support package.The new social value model presents a significant opportunity to support social enterprises and invest in our people and communities. Developed with stakeholders, including the federation of Small Businesses and Social Enterprise UK, the model ensures social value is explicitly evaluated in all major central government contracts from January 1st 2021. All individuals and organisations, including social enterprises, have a part to play in helping us to protect the environment. We welcome small businesses from across the UK to join the green business revolution and commit to becoming greener and more sustainable as we work towards our goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh: Monuments

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they havehad aboutcreatinga monument in memoryof His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Baroness Barran: We will consider any proposals for longer-term tributes, and in consultation with the Royal Household, in due course. No discussions have taken place to date.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Peers: Training

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what has been the total cost to public funds to date for Members of the House of Lords undertaking Valuing Everyone training.

Lord McFall of Alcluith: To the end of March £43,785 has been spent on Valuing Everyone training for members of the House of Lords, and £32,634 has been spent on Valuing Everyone training for staff of the House of Lords Administration, based on an assumption of cost per head across all training sessions delivered. The House of Lords share (30%) of development costs, pilot sessions and administration fees is £43,980.